The best things to do in NYC this weekend

Want to live out your Met Gala fantasy? New Yorkers from all over are invited to get all dolled up for "The People's Ball" at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library on May 4, celebrating inclusivity and individuality through fashion and performance.

The free event, held on the eve of the Met Gala, offers an alternative to expensive, exclusive galas and showcases the diverse styles that make up New York City's urban runway. Attendees can walk the runway in their favorite outfits, with DJs and performers entertaining the crowds between the fashion moments. 

Guests of honor this year Academy Award-winning designers Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther) and Paul Tazewell (Wicked). The event is hosted by Delissa Reynolds and Ariel Polanco with musical performances by Storm Marrero and DJ sets by djFRiTZo. It's co-curated by Souleo.

Be sure to register in advance. 

The Met Gala? In this economy? The Debt Gala provides an inclusive alternative to the Met Gala—all to raise money for Americans in medical debt. 

The third annual Debt Gala returns to Brooklyn's Bell House on Sunday, May 4, with the theme "Let Them Eat Cake: Ruined Riches." The tongue-in-cheek event swaps formality for fun, reshaping the traditional gala experience into an open celebration for all. The theme is meant to encourage guests to channel the gilded extravagance of immense wealth—silk, lace, pearls, and beyond—and distress it as they see fit. Rips, shatters, stains, and all manner of unraveling are welcome.

In addition to throwing a great party, the event also centers economic justice and the struggle to afford rising costs of care. In its first two years, the Debt Gala has helped eliminate over $2.5 million in medical debt for struggling families. This year, proceeds from the Debt Gala will support Undue Medical Debt and For the Gworls. 

"The Debt Gala is a protest, a love letter, a fundraiser, and a fashion show. 'Eat the rich,' but make it formalwear," added Molly Gaebe, co-founder of The Debt Gala. "At the Debt Gala, we're redistributing wealth, fun, and attention where they truly belong."

Rooftop Cinema Club takes movie-going to a whole new level—literally. This rooftop film series at a midtown skyscraper offers stunning views and an impressive lineup of films. 

In addition to the movie magic, the venue also offers movie snacks, a full bar and cute photo opps. This season features movies that will appeal to ‘90s kids, a Grease sing-along, Pride films, Wine Wednesdays and lots more when the 2025 calendar opens in May. Here’s the full list of what’s coming to Rooftop Cinema Club’s big screen.

The foxtrot, lindy hop, salsa, hustle and vogue all have roots in New York City, whether they were born here, shaped here or popularized in the city’s clubs. A new exhibit at Museum of the City of New York turns the museum into a dance floor as it digs into the fascinating history and important role of these dances and more.

“Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor” celebrates 200 years of social dance in New York City. It highlights the city’s dance floors as sites for connection, creativity and joyful rebellion. You’ll get to see everything from 1800s-era ball gowns to Louis Armstrong’s trumpet to Celia Cruz’s shoes to Big Daddy Kane’s outfits. Plus, digital screens throughout the exhibition offer dance lessons—and it’s nearly impossible not to move your body when the music starts.

Grab your dancing shoes, and go see it now through February 22, 2026 in East Harlem.

A great way to kick off the outdoor season will be right under the Brooklyn Bridge at Gotham Park’s free community block party on Saturday, May 3.

The block party will take place on Park Row and Rose Street beneath the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side and it will be Gotham Park's third annual event of the sort. Expect over 3,500 visitors to stop by over the span of six hours: a fun-filled and people-filled happening indeed!

You can RSVP for your free tickets right here. 

What's better than a walking tour of New York City? A free walking tour of New York City—and more than 200 of them will be available May 2-4 as part of Jane's Walk NYC festival hosted by the Municipal Art Society.

This beloved annual event, named after famed activist Jane Jacobs, invites New Yorkers to lead walks that celebrate urban life, culture, hidden gems, street art and more. Any New Yorker can lead a walk—and anyone can attend. 

Fragrant lilies, puffy hydrangeas and vibrant mums have combined to create a dreamy floral escape inside Macy's Herald Square location. An annual rite of spring, this year's Macy's Flower Show, titled "Floral Dreams Unfold," is now on view through May 18. 

The show begins outside the store with the retailer's signature windows. Each one features lush floral displays, alongside this season's fashions. Then, the journey continues inside, where you'll be met with swirling floral spirals, a shimmery beanstalk decoration and topiary chameleons. As you continue through the store, look for a dragonfly display, a tribute to bees and a cool digital installation.

Find the show at 151 W 34th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The destination is free to visit, so be prepared for crowds.

One of the best live music venues in the city has announced its summer concerts schedule. Here's what's coming to the Rooftop at Pier 17 this May:

May 1 and 2 – Elderbrook
May 7 – Trivium & Bullet For My Valentine
May 13 – Peter Cat Recording Co.
May 15 – Amyl and The Sniffers
May 22 & 23 – Peach Pit & Briston Maroney
May 24 – Dance Gavin Dance
May 28 – Mayday Parade
May 30 – JET
May 31 – Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

You can purchase tickets here or in-person at at the AXS Box Office at Pier 17.

The Brooklyn Flea's newest flea market returns to the underpass of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway along Meeker Avenue between Union and Lorimer Avenues. Every Sunday from 10am to 5pm, peruse a trunk-style market where vendors sell vintage finds, cool collectibles, and handmade goods right out of their cars, with a lineup curated by the people behind the beloved and renown Brooklyn Flea.

Along with being a great spot to hunt for hidden gems, the BQ Flea is also a perfect weekend stop for good local food and a lackback community vibe.

Dance is always mesmerizing to watch, but this weekend you can see incredible feats of movement—on ice! The Ice Theatre of New York will perform on May 2, 3 and 5 at the Sky Rink at Chelsea Pier 61. 

The one-hour program consists of nine short ice dance performances, a blend of transfixing, lyrical and whimsical creative pieces. One performance is set to a recording of birdsong, while another was inspired by the dancer's experience aboard a US Coast Guard icebreaker in the Arctic. Yet another performance features three performers interconnected by a white sheath that requires their skillful collaboration. 

Ice Theatre of New York is the first nonprofit ice dance company in the U.S., and it's celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

The temperatures are increasing, the flowers are blooming, it’s officially spring in New York City! And with the new season comes the return of BAMkids SpringFest returns, which will paint Brooklyn with vibrant colors and lively sounds on Saturday, May 3 from 10:30am to 4pm at the Plaza at 300 Ashland.

The fun-filled afternoon will feature exciting performances and hands-on activities like West African movement workshops, mommy-and-me yoga sessions, live music by Sugartone Brass Band and Hila the Earth, step presentations by Alpha Phi Alpha and more.

Officially, Holi takes place on March 14 this year, but the Brooklyn Children's Museum is keeping the colorful celebrations going well into spring with a Saturday, May 3 celebration of springtime, renewal and joy. Held in three sessions (10am-12:30m, 1pm-3:30pm, 4pm-6:30pm), the high-energy Holi Festival from BCM, Ajna Dance Company and The Culture Tree will be a full day of Bollywood dancing, colorful puppet shows, delicious treats, art-making, music, and more.

Of course, there will be pounds of color powder for the ultimate color toss—families are encouraged to wear white and get messy as the festival will travel to neighboring Brower Park. 

Walk in the footsteps of the Astors, Vanderbilts and other elite New Yorkers who lived during the Gilded Age on this new walking tour. Titled “Fifth Avenue in the Gilded Age: Address to Impress,” the tour will whisk visitors back to the late 1800s for a stroll along Manhattan's most prestigious avenue. 

Tours, bookable here for $49/person, run on May 10 and 24. Events are run by New York Historical Tours in partnership with the Fifth Avenue Association.

An iconic artwork by the elusive street artist Banksy is now on display in Lower Manhattan, and you've got until May 21 to go see it. 

The 7,500-pound piece, titled "Battle to Survive a Broken Heart," features a bandaged heart-shaped balloon. Banksy created the artwork during 2013 in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood. It's the only known piece that the enigmatic artist came back and retouched. Find it in the The Winter Garden at Brookfield Place at 230 Vesey Street. 

The tagged wall has been in a climate-controlled warehouse in Long Island City since 2014—until now. It is on public display until it is auctioned by Guernsey's on May 21, with a portion of the sale supporting The American Heart Association.

It’s hard to get good food on the cheap, but for ten years, Queens Night Market has prided itself on offering the city’s best eats for just $5-6.

Ranked one of the best food festivals in the U.S., the festival runs on Saturday nights through the spring and summer at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The foodie festival runs on Saturday nights through the summer at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. 

There will also be other items sale besides food, including vintage apparel, handmade jewelry, ceramic products, locally produced art pieces, crochet toys, stationery, and much more.

German-American actress and comedian Lucie Pohl invites comics born near and far to perform their best immigration-inspired stand-up, storytelling and sketch comedy.

Comedians for the Friday, May 2 show at Caveat include Gus Constantellis, Alex Kim, Lissa Lenis, Cansu, Misha Han, and more, plus prizes and games. Comedians represent Colombia, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Turkey, Germany, and more. This month's show raises money for the New Women New Yorkers.

An art showcase “born with the challenge to launch independent artists and showcase the careers and achievements of already affirmed creative minds,” Clio Art Fair is back from May 1-4 and May 8-11. Each week will feature a completely new roster of 35+ international artists—all without any exclusive NYC gallery representation, including Luis A. Gutierrez, Julia Rivera, Hera Kim and more. The show is meant to offer collectors, curators, and the public a fresh and diverse experience whether they go during week one or week two.

This year’s proceedings will also include “Behave As If God Exists,” a special performance project exploring “inclusivism, spiritual, social, and existential themes through live actions and interventions” by emerging and mid-career artists, a curated segment that will unfold across both weekends.

Thinking of ways to show your support for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month? This bake sale has just the thing.  

On May 4, Market 57's Platform by JBF (aka, the James Beard Foundation) is hosting an all-out bake sale, and you are invited. But you won't just find run-of-the-mill cookies here. Instead, the foundation has curated a powerhouse line-up of pastry chefs and bakers that will be selling all the baked goods for the taking. The culinary lineup includes Eunji Lee of Korean and French-inspired pastry shop LYSÉE, chef and cookbook author of "In the Kusina: My Seasonal Filipino Cooking," Woldy Reyes, Lauren Tran of the popular Vietnamese pop-up shop turned brick and mortar, Bánh by Lauren, and James Beard Award nominee Natasha Pickowicz. Drinks will be provided from Makku, Lucky Ox and Lunar Hard Seltzer. Beyond just shopping, there is a chance to give back. Heart of Dinner, a nonprofit that delivers nourishing care packages to elderly Asian Americans, will be onsite to host a bag decorating station.  

The bake sale runs from 1-3pm, so come out to show your support for these AAPI artisans. Check out the full list of vendors below: 

• Bessou
• Celia Lee: Brooklyn Fare
• Clarice Lam: Breaking Bao
• Connie Chung: Milu
• Eunji Lee: LYSÉE
• Heart of Dinner
• Ileene Cho
• Jennifer Lee Ban: Rice Blossoms
• Jessie YuChen: Boomi Pop
• Lauren Tran: Bánh by Lauren
• Martha Ann Milla: Stick With Me Sweets
• Mina Park: 99
• Natasha Pickowicz
• Nigel Sielegar: Moon Man
• Nom Wah
• Rebecca Choi: Manhatta
• Wen-Jay Ying and Christine Han: Local Roots
• Woldy Reyes: In The Kusina

Cherry blossoms tend to steal the spotlight this time of year—and deservedly so. But another pastel flower is worthy of our attention, too: the tulip. These colorful flowers are about to make their seasonal debut, emerging from bulbs deep underground that have survived the winter freeze.

One of the best spots to see these botanical marvels is at the West Side Community Garden, a hidden oasis of springtime splendor that is home to more than 10,000 tulips. The volunteer-run garden will host its 47th annual tulip festival from April 12–April 27. Best of all, the massive festival is free and open to all.

Enter through a wrought iron gate on West 89th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues to find the secret garden, open daily from dawn 'til dusk. Inside, weave through paths packed with plants. How many exactly? Well, volunteers plant about 13,000 tulip bulbs every year! 

To celebrete the release of Morbid Anatomy Founder and Creative Director Joanna Ebenstein’s new book Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life, Memento Mori Fest will host a weekend of talks, performances, parties, cemetery tours, rare book viewings, and other experiences all revolving around the theme of memento mori—Latin for "remember you will die."

From Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 4, the fest will partner with two great NYCcultural institutions—ARAS (Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism) and The Green-Wood Cemetery—for the programming lineup. Along with events like film screenings, pop-up libraries and writer panels, attendees can enjoy special themed flash tattoos at White Ghost Studios, personalized Memento Mori portraits at Rusty Zimmerman Studio, death-themed board games at Brooklyn Game Night and more.

The Runnin' Late Comedy Show is back this weekend with an impressive lineup. Forget the Sunday Scaries as you laugh out loud with Cab Washington, Mo Hill, Napoleon Emill, Samantha Santos, Liz Glazer, Trayvon Fulton, and Jonas Jeannot. 

See the show at The Stand near Union Square on Sunday, May 4.

The Boba Gays comedy show is back and "BOBA-IER and GAYER than ever," as event organizers say. Get ready for a night all-Asian excellence in this variety comedy show packed with stand-up, improv, and sketch—all served with a little chaos. 

The event on Sunday, May 4 is hosted by NYC comedians Alex Kim and Kenny Park Yi and features Charlene Kaye and Brittany Carney.

With all of their colors, characters and over-the-top theatrics, carnivals and circuses have unsurprisingly served as artistic inspiration for centuries. And this spring, all of that under-the-big-top fun is fueling a subversive new exhibition, Carnival, curated by artist Joe Coleman and on view at Jeffrey Deitch's 18 Wooster Street gallery from May 3 through June 28. The artists featured in the show—including Derrick Adamas, Jane Dickson, Mu Pan, Mr. Gorgeous, Walton Ford, KAWS and more—engage with themes of spectacle, expression and rebellion through their works.

"In this show, I explore the many forms that this expression takes—from the amazing banners produced for side shows and crime shows, the spectacular costumes of the burlesque house, the Mardi Gras, and the art parade," said Coleman. "The influence extends to puppet show figures, whose roots trace back to ancient theater, the wax figures that evolved from medieval votive saints to the criminal and celebrity effigies of the sideshow museum, and even the miniature and flea circuses."

The largest NYC-themed trivia game is back at the Queens Museum. On Friday, May 2, the top dogs of NYC knowledge will gather at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park institution for an intense battle of wits. They'll use with The Panorama of the City of New York—a scale model of the five boroughs created for the-1965 New York World’s Fair—as their massive game board.

Teams of Panorama Pros (experts) and Panorama Challengers (amateurs) will get quizzed on topics ranging from "(Mom and) Pop Culture" to "Mobile Homes" to "Union Houses" and other areas of urban history and local lore. The winning Pro team will have their name etched on the Panorama Challenge Trophy housed at the Queens Museum.

Midtown’s Garment District has been home to creativity and invention for decades and, now it's home to a massive metal sculpture that seems to be "growing" out of the cement.

Titled "New York Roots," the installation by Steve Tobin is the Garment District Alliance's latest public exhibit on the Broadway plazas between 39th and 40th Streets and 40th and 41st Streets. Seven sculptures invite you to weave in an out of their roots and "reflect on relationships, families and communities coming together for a shared purpose—just as roots intertwine to strengthen a tree," per the Alliance. 

See it through February 2026.

Portraits of American First Ladies typically don't tell us much about the personality of the person. Maybe we can see a steely determination in her eyes or get a sense of her style, but we don’t learn much about who she is. Amy Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama changed all of that by focusing on the essence of the subject.

You can now see this iconic portrait and many other renowned works by Sherald in a new exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art located in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The exhibition, titled “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” is open April 9-August 10, 2025. With nearly 50 paintings, it’s the most comprehensive exhibition of the American artist’s work, which includes a portrait of Breonna Taylor, as well as paintings that center everyday Black Americans. 

Coming off of his award-winning solo show "Connect the Dots," funnyman Natan Badalov will test out new material at Astoria's Tootles & French. The in-progress show will see Badalov try to wrench laughs out of tough subjects like empathy, family dynamics, and the Middle East.

The show's on the first Sunday of each month (that's May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2, and December 7 in 2025). Tickets cost just $5 plus a one-drink minimum.

The Folio Society will mark nearly 80 years of extraordinary art and illustration with The Art of Folio, a landmark exhibition at the Society of Illustrators' Museum of Illustration. It's the first time Folio has brought its archive and artistry to NYC in this way, celebrating nearly eight decades of exceptional book art with works from 91 celebrated illustrators including Yuko Shimizu, Sam Weber, the Balbusso twins, Jamaal Barber, and Omar Rayyan.

At the heart of the show is a centennial tribute to The Great Gatsby, with Shimizu's newly illustrated edition having debuted this spring. Spanning multiple genres—from sci-fi to YA to contemporary classics—the exhibit will offer a rich narrative of how illustration continues to evolve in the publishing world.

It's free to visit through July 12 at Society of Illustrators on the Upper East Side (Lexington and 63rd). 

Even if you don't know how to play music, it’s practically impossible not to reach out and strum or pluck the strings when an instrument appears in front of you—or at the very least, expect that a musician will appear to play it. That’s what makes these new abstract artworks by Jennie C. Jones so mind-bending. 

Three massive instrument sculptures now sit on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rooftop in Jones’ latest work titled “Ensemble.” But only one of the instruments makes sound when it’s activated by the wind. The other two don’t make sound at all, even though they’re capable of doing so. That's exactly the point. Instead, their potential for sound and the tension between dormancy and activation is where they hold power. Go see these cool sculptures on the Met’s gorgeous rooftop through October 19.

Step into the vibrant world of Lorenzo Homar, a pioneering printmaker, poster designer, calligrapher, painter, illustrator, caricaturist, and theatrical set designer. Homar's poster work is the subject of an exhibit at Poster House titled "Puerto Rico in Print: The Posters of Lorenzo Homar" on view through September 7, 2025. 

Es-pranza Humphrey, assistant curator of collections at Poster House, describes Homar as "the father of the Puerto Rican poster." Homar was active from the 1950s through the 1990s, and few artists equal his impact and influence as a teacher of poster design and printmaking in Latin America.

His work reflected the complex history of Puerto Rico, encompassing elements of Taíno, Spanish, and African cultures as well as the rising tensions between tradition and modernity under the Luis Muñoz Marín government.

BTS member and Korean pop star Jung Kook, who was the first K-pop soloist to chart seven different songs on the Billboard Hot 100, is unveiling a new exhibition in NYC.

The immersive exhibition, “GOLDEN: The Moments,” celebrates Jung Kook’s solo career, his creative process, achievements and the emotions that shaped Golden, his first solo album, from April 11 to May 11 at 30 Wall Street. 

If you're a diehard fan of seeing Tom Cruise hanging dangerously off of a cliff or out of a helicopter or from the side of a skyscraper, this is the museum exhibit for you.

Now through December 14, Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria is celebrating the pop-culture phenomenon that is the Mission: Impossible film franchise with Mission: Impossible—Story and Spectacle, an exhibition that immerses visitors in the remarkable stunts and key dramatic moments of the decade-spanning series. Sections of the exhibition will be devoted to each film in the series, spotlighting each title's mind-boggling stuntwork and action sequences as well as behind-the-scenes content of how it all came together onscreen. 

La MaMa's annual festival runs riot with dance in its 20th edition, curated by the beloved Nicky Paraiso. Nearly all of the participating shows are lopal, national or world premieres. The lineup includes: John Jasperse Projects' Tides (Apr 10–13); Keith A. Thompson & danceTactics performance group's Love Alone Anthology Project (Apr 10–13); a shared bill of Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company's e-Motion and Pat Catterson's Tremor and Then (Apr 18–20); a group show of works by Hunter College and NYU Tisch MFA Choreographers (Apr 18–20); bluemouth inc.'s Lucy AI (Apr 24, 25); a pairing of Megumi Eda's solo Please Cry with a collaboration between dancer Nic Gareiss and fiddler Alexis Chartrand (April 25-27); a double bill of Jesse Zaritt and Pamela Pietro's dance for no ending and an untitled piece by Jordan Demetrius Lloyd (Apr 25–27); and Amalia Suryani's Ta’na Nirau (Apr 26, 27). The festival concludes in early May with an Emerging Choreographers Program curated by Martita Abril and Blaze Ferrer (May 1–4) and a shared program created in a partnership with the New York Arab Festival and curated by Adham Hafez (May 1–4). Individual shows cost $30, but multishow package deals are available: $45 for two, $60 for three and $95 for five. 

The team behind the lovely, Tony-winning musical The Band's Visit—book writer Itamar Moses, composer David Yazbek and director David Cromer, now joined by songwriter Erik Della Penna—reunites to tell the very weird story of Elmer McCurdy: a Wild West outlaw whose corpse toured the country for decades as a side-show mummy.

The show's Off Broadway premiere last year earned it multiple prizes, includes the Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical; the cast for the Broadway transfer has not yet been announced.

Smorgasburg, the food bazaar spectacular, is back as of April with dozens of great local vendors across three locations. Smorgasburg WTC runs on Fridays; Williamsburg is on Saturdays; and Prospect Park is on Sundays. Each location is open weekly through October. 

For its 15th year of outdoor food and fun, Smorgasburg will showcase more than 70 vendors. The food festival will be filled with fragrant Ethiopian stews, Hawaii-style street comforts, explosive pani puri, potato puff poutine and lots more.

On Sunday mornings at 11am in Manhattan, GatherNYC creates the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service, but the focus here is music. All are welcome at these hour-long performances of classical music by celebrated local artists. Coffee and pastries are included in the ticket price.

These upcoming events are held at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in Columbus Circle. Shows are scheduled through June 2025. Here’s what’s on the calendar:

• April 27: ETHEL and Layale Chaker (violin)
• May 11: Solomiya Ivakhiv (violin) and friends: Music from Ukraine
• May 25: Rupert Boyd (guitar)
• June 8: Orpheus and Boyd Meets Girl

There lived a certain man, in Russia long ago, who was big and strong (in his eyes, a flaming glow); most people looked at him with terror and with fear, but to Moscow chicks, he was such a lovely dear. We speak, of course, of the libertine faith healer Grigori "Rah Rah" Rasputin, the so-called mad monk who insinuated himself into the Romanov court in the waning years of imperial Russia until a conspiracy of aristocrats finally managed to have him killed. The female-led troupe Artemis Is Burning invites audiences—who are encouraged to wear black—to relive those heady days of decadence and treachery in an immersive performance in the atmospheric environs of Governors Island. Set Ashley Brett Chipman conceived the show and also directs it with former Sleep No More resident director Hope Youngblood, with assistance from Julia Sharpe; those three women also cowrote the script with David Campbell. James Finnemore is the choreographer. (The ticket price includes ferry trips to the island and back.) 

Ahead of The Handmaid’s Tale finale, The Paley Museum in midtown is hosting an immersive exhibit featuring the costumes, artifacts and props from the Emmy Award-winning show. It'll be on view starting Friday, April 4, through Sunday, June 8.

At the Paley Museum, “The Legacy of The Handmaid’s Tale: June’s Evolution from Handmaid to Rebel” will put you face-to-face with its costumes, including June's iconic red handmaid’s dress, cloak and white winged bonnet and Serena Joy Waterford’s haunting teal dress, as well as costumes worn by other pivotal characters. You’ll also get to see Commander Waterford’s Scrabble board, Nichole’s doll from Nick, June’s Boston map and June’s terrifying Handmaid muzzle.

Grab your paddles, pickeball fans, because the popular sport is back in Central Park all spring and summer long. CityPickle is now open at the park's Wollman Rink through the early fall. 

This is the third season for pickleball on 14 courts in the center of Manhattan—the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast. This tennis/ping-pong/badminton hybrid has become the country's fastest-growing sport, with more than 130,000 New Yorkers flocking to Wollman Rink's courts in past years. All skill levels are welcome for court rentals, clinics, open play, and private events from 8am to 9pm daily. Plus, expect summer camps, events, and special free programming. 

Forget the 14-hour flight from NYC to Tokyo, you can now discover the tastes of Japan with just a short subway ride to JAPAN Fes. The massive annual food festival just announced its 2025 dates, and the schedule is packed with events.

The organization is hosting nearly 30 outdoor events in NYC this year. What used to be just a summertime festival is now a year-round celebration across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Event organizers say it's the largest Japanese food festival in the world, attracting 300,000 visitors and featuring 1,000 vendors every year.

Here are the upcoming dates: April 19 on the Upper West Side; April 20 in Chelsea; April 26 in Chelsea; April 27 in Astoria; May 4 on the Upper West Side; May 10 in Chelsea; May 18 in Park Slope; June 7 in Midtown West; and June 15 in Park Slope.

Explore the overlap between abstract art, weaving, craft, and fashion at this MoMA exhibit. "Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction" delves into the dynamic intersections between weaving and abstraction. See 150 works in a range of mediums—from textiles and basketry to painting, drawing, sculpture, and media works.

The exhibition seeks to challenge long-held notions of the weave as a function of textile alone, exploring the many forms both warp and weft have taken when explored by abstract artists over the past 100 years.

It's on view April 20–September 13, 2025.

It's the surest sign of warmest weather ahead: Luna Park in Coney Island is now open. For 2025, you can expect new arcade games, renovated retail outlets, and a new patio at Salt & Sizzle. Luna Park will also offer expanded hours.

Where better to send up the conventions of Irish drama than at the Irish Rep? Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson and the estimable Kate Burton lead the cast of Ciara Elizabeth Smyth's world-premiere comedy, about a Dublin theater troupe that gets its Irish up when the writer of its Broadway-bound production strays too far from the tried-and-true path of commercial plays from the Emerald Isle. Nicola Murphy Dubey directs the show, which has been in development at the Irish Rep for several years, and Kevin Oliver Lynch, Brenda Meaney and Angela Reed round out the ensemble. 

In honor of Earth Day, Brooklyn Art Haus is presenting a lineup of prominent visual artists whose works powerfully respond to the climate crisis.

"The Human Layer" exhibition highlights artists such as Ross Carvill, Max Gordon, Julia Forrest, Nia, Tslil Tsemet and Lei Tyebie, whose pieces react to "evolving landscapes, high moments of social activism, and the relocation of humans, as an attempt to expand and shift perceptions of the onlooker," per the gallery. Along with taking in these evocative works, viewers are welcomed to participate in the exhibition by "adding their own wisdom and illustrations to form their own collective response."

You can attend the opening reception for "The Human Layer" on Thursday, April 3 from 6pm to 9pm—it’s free to attend, just RSVP here. After that, the show runs through May 29.

New York just got a taste of Paris: Printemps, the French chain of high-end department stores that first debuted in Europe back in 1865, has officially opened its first location in Manhattan at One Wall Street, a debut that's just as beautiful, luxurious and fashion-forward as you’d expect.

Spanning 55,000 square feet over two floors of the historic Art Deco building, the new Printemps blends Parisian elegance with New York’s vibrant energy, offering a curated selection of designer fashion, accessories and home décor—plus five food and beverage experiences that will basically force you to spend all day inside the shop.

NYCB leaps back to Lincoln Center with a six-week slate that includes multiple dances by two of the great choreographers of the 20th century, company cofounders George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, including Balanchine's Vienna Waltzes at the Spring Gala on May 8. Among the other offerings in the varied season are the live premiere of Kyle Abraham's When We Fell; recent works by Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmasky and Caili Quan; older pieces by Peck, Ratmansky and the late Lynne Taylor-Corbett; a program of work set to music by Maurice Ravel, comprising four pieces that premiered 50 years ago at the company's first Ravel Festival (May 14–24); and, for the final stretch, Balanchine's full-length forest romp A Midsummer Night's Dream (May 27–June 1). Visit the City Ballet website for a full schedule of events.

New York City Ballet's current roster of principal dancers includes Tyler Angle, Gilbert Bolden III, Chun Wai Chan, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Megan Fairchild, Jovani Furlan, Emilie Gerrity, Joseph Gordon, Anthony Huxley, Isabella LaFreniere, Sara Mearns, Roman Mejia, Mira Nadon, Tiler Peck, Unity Phelan, Taylor Stanley, Daniel Ulbricht, Andrew Veyette, Emma Von Enck, Peter Walker and Indiana Woodward. Veyette departs the company in a farewell performance on May 25.

Walk in the footsteps of the Astors, Vanderbilts and other elite New Yorkers who lived during the Gilded Age on this new walking tour. Titled “Fifth Avenue in the Gilded Age: Address to Impress,” the tour will whisk visitors back to the late 1800s for a stroll along Manhattan's most prestigious avenue. 

Tours, bookable here for $49/person, run on several Saturdays this spring: April 12 and 26; and May 10 and 24. Events are run by New York Historical Tours in partnership with the Fifth Avenue Association.

The Brooklyn Museum is celebrating a big birthday. As the museum turns 200, it’s marking the occasion with a sprawling exhibition that celebrates the museum's history, showcases artists from the borough and highlights new gifts in the collection. The massive show highlights hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and photographs pulled from the impressive museum’s full collection of 140,000 items. 

“Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200” is now open through February 22, 2026.

It's hard to imagine now in our globalized world, but many of the young American soldiers who headed onto massive ships like the USS Intrepid during World War II had never even seen the ocean before. They’d soon be navigating the Pacific, launching planes off of aircraft carriers and battling Axis enemies. 

Now, the stories of those military members are on display in a new permanent exhibit at the Intrepid Museum, the historic aircraft carrier docked along the Hudson River in Hell’s Kitchen, which served from 1943 to 1974. The new 10,000-square-foot exhibit includes 50 never-before-seen artifacts, crew member oral histories, videos and photos showcasing the ship's history.

Plus, you’ll get to see the museum’s newest WWII aircraft acquisition, a legendary fighter-bomber called the FG-1D Corsair. Planes just like it often flew off of Intrepid’s flight deck during the war.

The spectacularly designed stage prequel to Stranger Things expands the universe of the popular Netflix show with an original story set in the late 1950s.

The play depicts the early years of central series characters including Joyce Maldonaldo, Jim Hopper, Bob Newby and Dr. Martin Brenner; playwright Kate Trefry, a longtime staff writer for the TV version, has devised the story with series creators Matt and Ross Duffer and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playwright Jack Thorne. 

The Roundabout teams up with "Escape" artist Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) for a boldly jazzy adaptation of The Pirates of Penzance, the best-known show by the Victorian operetta masters W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan: a romp that bustles with sweet-hearted pirates, bumbling cops and pretty young lasses, now reset in New Orleans.

Scott Ellis directs a power cast that includes, on the outlaw side, Ramin Karimloo as the Pirate King, Nicholas Barasch as his naive apprentice and RuPaul's Drag Race champion Jinkx Monsoon as the slatternly Ruth; and, on the side of the law, the justly beloved David Hyde Pierce as the Major General, Samantha Williams as his fetching daughter and Preston Truman Boyd as the Sergeant of Police.

Josefina López's 1990 play, about a Latina teenager torn between her family's garment factory and her college dreams, has already been the basis of the 2002 film that introduced the world to America Fererra. Now playwrights Lisa Loomer (Living Out) and Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) adapt it into a musical with music and lyrics by Joy Huerta (of the Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy) and Benjamin Velez.

Following a warmly received 2023 premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the show is moving to Broadway under the guiding eye of director-choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Ain't Too Proud).

On the heels of his Tony-winning performance in last season's Merrily We Roll Along, Broadway sweetie Jonathan Groff returns to star as pop and nightclub star Bobby Darin, who peaked in the late 1950s with such hits as "Dream Lover," "Beyond the Sea" and "Mack the Knife."

Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!) directs an immersive production at Circle in the Square, with a cast that features Michele Pawk, John Treacy Egan and Caesar Samayoa. The hits are strung together through an original book by Warren Leight (Side Man) and comic essayist Isaac Oliver (Intimacy Idiot).

Tucked away on Bridge Street in an old factory basement, this two-story playscape for kids and adults contains ample room for fun, including laser tag, mini-bowling and arcade games.

Laser tag games are comprised of three 10-15-minute matches, where you bob and weave around rustic columns and obstacles Area 53 has set up. Across an hour-and-a-half, you and your friends will be giggling and screaming as you "shoot" each other's guns to gain points. It's not for the faint of heart—running to avoid lasers is a workout, but a super fun one. We'd recommend checking out its "After Dark" laser tag and mini-bowling for those 18+ on Thursday nights.

Area 53's mini-bowling allows for up to six people to knock down pins across 25 minutes and its arcade has traditional games, from basketball shooting games to racing games and claw machines. 

Running through May 11, Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature is the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the German Romantic artist held in the United States. Thanks to unprecedented loans from more than 30 lenders in Europe and North America, the exhibition features more than 75 works by Friedrich, spanning oil paintings, finished drawings, and working sketches from every phase of the artist’s career.

"Friedrich's art evokes a watershed moment in the development of human understanding of the natural world," said Alison Hokanson, the exhibition's curator. "His landscapes mark the rise of the Romantic entwinement of nature and the self—a sensibility that intersected with the start of the industrial revolution and the growth of what we now call ecological awareness."

The show was organized in cooperation with the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Amid the hustle and bustle of Chelsea, where moving fast is a requirement, the Museum at FIT invites us to slow down and peek into its gigantic cabinet of curiosities.

“Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities,” a free exhibit now on view through April 20, features more than 200 garments and accessories inspired by the many objects you might have found within these encyclopedic collections, typically owned by the wealthy back in the 16th–18th centuries. 

Some of the objects on view are being showcased for the very first time. All of them are meant to pique curiosity through their rarity, beauty or originality.

If space is looking pretty good to you right now, there’s a chance to escape to the wide expanse even if only for an hour. INTER, the experiential, multi-sensory museum in Soho, has been reimagined to be an immersive intergalactic adventure.

From the creative minds behind the Museum of Ice Cream and photography center Fotografiska, INTER, inside the old First National City Bank of New York, first opened in a beta version in November 2022 but officially opened in May 2023, with abstract digital art of images evoking natural phenomena like earth, fire and water, its own floral tunnel, an infinity room and a water installation.

But now, it has more than 10 immersive exhibits using light, sound and digital projection to transport you to another galaxy.

Need a vacation? Head to The Bronx for The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism at New York Botanical Garden. The sprawling floral exhibition, with its vibrant colors, flowing waterfalls and thousands of orchids, makes for a transportive tropical escape. 

This year's show, presented in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, was inspired by the art of the Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán. Throughout your floral adventure, you'll learn about the late artist's ethos as you stroll through meditative spaces, explore minimalist designs and notice contrasting details. The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism is now open through April 27. Don't miss Orchid Nights, 21+ events on select nights that feature cumbia music, dancing, and drinks. 

While her ertswhile Succession brother Kieran Culkin gets down and dirty in Glengarry Glen Ross a few streets away, Sarah Snook takes a walk on the Wilde side in a solo adaptation of Oscar W.'s fanciful Victorian gothic novel about the ultimate demon twink. Snook plays more than 25 characters in a production helmed by adapter-director Kip Williams; her performance in the West End, which our London critic called "astonishing", earned her a 2024 Olivier Award.

The nuclear industry can be a complicated topic to understand, but a new exhibit at Poster House in the Flatiron District will help. "Fallout: Atoms for War & Peace" explores the global development of the nuclear industry through poster art that promoted and protested its use through the second half of the twentieth century. 

In a series of 60 posters, the exhibit digs into how scientists around the world developed the nuclear bomb and nuclear power stations following World War II. It also looks at how the development of nuclear energy led to the threat of nuclear war and—later—the development of harnessing nuclear energy for peace as an inexpensive electricity source.

A few highlights of the show include the entirety of Erik Nitsche's iconic General Dynamics series which promoted President Eisenhower’s slogan "Atoms for Peace" in six languages. Also featured are numerous anti-nuclear protest posters by the celebrated British designer Peter Kennard. 

See it through September 7, 2025.  

If you were alive in the late 1990s, you probably remember the ubiquitous 1997 album Buena Vista Social Club, which reunited elderly musicians to recreate the atmosphere and songs of a Havana nightspot before the Cuban Revolution.

This original musical by Marco Ramirez—directed by Saheem Ali and choreographed gorgeously by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck—brings their story to Broadway, in slightly fictionalized form, after a highly enjoyable debut at the Atlantic last year. This lively celebration of Cuban music offers an irresistable tropical getaway.

The New Yorker, one of the most revered New York-based publications in the country, is officially turning 100 years old, and the New York Public Library is stepping in to celebrate the occasion.

The library has debuted a new exhibit titled “A Century of The New Yorker” showcasing the magazine's history from its 1925 launch to the present, highlighting the stories and ideas that have defined it throughout the years. The exhibition will be mounted for a full year.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view old covers, rare manuscripts, photographs, founding documents and, of course, an archive of cartoon art that defines the magazine's aesthetic. 

Lewis Carroll's trippy Alice in Wonderland books have inspired many theatrical spectacles, but Company XIV's seductive Queen of Hearts is a singular sexcess: a transporting fusion of haute burlesque, circus, dance and song. Your fall down the glamorous rabbit hole begins upon entering the troupe's louche Bushwick lair, where scantily clad server-performers slink about in flattering red lighting.

A cursory knowledge of the source material will help you make sense of the show’s three-act cavalcade of Alice-inspired routines, as our blue-haired heroine embarks on an NC-17 coming-of-age journey under the guidance of the White Rabbit.

The show runs on weekends this spring.

Having taken the U.K. by storm in productions about the country, culminating in a well-received foray into the West End, this scrappy musical comedy about a wacky real-life British spy operation in World War II now invades New York City. The entire original company of five re-ups for the Broadway production: co-authors David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts—who wrote the show with Felix Hagan, their comrade in the comedy troupe SpitLip—as well as Claire-Marie Hall and Olivier Award winner Jak Malone. Robert Hastie directs the military mayhem. 

It was only a matter of time until Flaco, NYC's fallen owl king, became the subject of his very own exhibit. The beloved Eurasian eagle-owl used to fly around the city after escaping from the zoo, until he passed away about a year ago. 

"The Year of Flaco," a new exhibit at The New-York Historical, is open through June 6. Featuring photos and videos "documenting Flaco's flight and his new life in the city, along with letters, drawings and objects left at a memorial beneath Flaco’s favorite oak tree following his death one year ago," the program will also examine "the dangers faced by birds in urban environments, legislation inspired by Flaco's legacy and practical steps for creating a safer city for wildlife."

How is she? Ever since it was confirmed that Audra McDonald would star in the latest revival of Gypsy, Broadway fans have speculated about how Audra would be as Mama Rose—or, more nervously, whether Audra could be Mama Rose, the implacable stage mother who sacrifices everything to make her two daughters into stars. So let’s get that question out of the way up front. How is Audra as Rose? She’s a revelation. 

So, too, is the rest of George C. Wolfe’s deeply intelligent and beautifully mounted production, which comes as a happy surprise.

Journey back in time to April 15, 1874 in Paris, when Impressionist painters began creating their groundbreaking work. Through the art and science of virtual reality, you can now join them as they break away from traditional academic painting, focusing instead on capturing light, color and atmosphere in new ways.

Titled "Tonight with the Impressionists: Paris 1874," this VR exhibition will take you back to the streets of 19th-century Paris to meet the artists behind the paintings and experience key moments in the Impressionist movement. Meet Monet, Renoir, Morisot, Degas, and others as they depict everyday life and outdoor scenes with spontaneous brushstrokes and vibrant colors. Expect to spend about 45 minutes fully immersed in their world thanks to your VR headset.

The exhibition was created by Excurio in collaboration with the renowned Musée d’Orsay in Paris. See it at Eclipso, located at 555 West 57th Street. Tickets range in price from $30-$44 depending on the date. 

Depending on what you learned in high school history class, you might be surprised to discover that Brooklyn—an area firmly in the northern Union states—actually has significant ties to slavery. A new exhibit coming to the borough digs into that painful history.

Titled "Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn," the exhibit is now open at the Center for Brooklyn History. While there are few firsthand testimonies from enslaved people in Brooklyn, the exhibit offers clues to what they endured. It also sheds light on the often-overlooked narratives of enslaved individuals in Kings County and the generational legacies of inequality. The exhibit is free to visit through August 30 in the center's Fransioli Gallery.

Expect to see archival documents, rare personal accounts from enslaved Brooklynites and artwork that helps visitors visualize this period in Brooklyn's development. The exhibit also delves into genealogy and celebrates the work of family historians, researchers, and artists who trace their roots through this difficult past.

Want to feel like you can practically defy gravity? You can do just that at Lush Spa with their Wicked-themed book-a-bath experience. 

In partnership with Universal Studios, the Upper East Side spa is completely decked out with Wicked vibes. There's vivid green and glimmering gold decor, including taper candles and even wallpaper that says Oz. During the bath, you’ll get to enjoy a pink-and-green bath bomb, a soap shaped like the Emerald City, and a cleanser picked for your skin type. Instrumental versions of the Wicked soundtrack will play while you relax in the tub. 

It's bookable now for $75 with appointments through late 2025.

If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, then you’re already familiar with snowy owls, the cute and charismatic birds that served as the wizard’s closest companion.

Now, New Yorkers will be able to see the rare and mystical animals in the flesh: a pair just of them just set up home at the Bronx Zoo. You can go check out the snowy owls in the Birds of Prey section of the Bronx Zoo, which also houses king vultures, golden eagles and the Cinereous Vulture, the largest eagle in Eurasia, with a 10-foot wingspan. 

In the 1950 film masterpiece Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood glamour is a dead-end street. Stalled there with no one coming to find her—except perhaps to use her car—is Norma Desmond: a former silent-screen goddess who is now all but forgotten. Secluded and deluded, she haunts her own house and plots her grand return to the pictures; blinded by the spotlight in her mind, she is unaware that what she imagines to be a hungry audience out there in the dark is really just the dark.

If Netflix’s Squid Game is one of your favorite shows, you’ll want to try your hand at some of the challeneges at Squid Game: The Experience here in NYC.

Set within Manhattan Mall (100 West 33rd Street by Sixth Avenue), you get into teams of up to 24 people each to complete challenges across 60 minutes, including those that appeared on the TV show (yes, you’ll get to try your hand at the iconic Red Light Green Light) plus a number of brand-new ones built specifically for the experience. Once done playing, you can enjoy a night market offering a variety of Korean and international sweet and savory foods, plus drinks. 

Get tickets here.

As the Revolutionary War came to a close, British Loyalists and soldiers evacuated the colonies in droves. But the evacuation was more complicated for Black Loyalists, some of whom joined the British cause in response to offers of freedom. 

In 1783, the new government formed a special committee to review the eligibility of some Black Loyalists to evacuate with the British Army, and that committee met at Fraunces Tavern in Lower Manhattan. A new permanent exhibit at the Fraunces Tavern Museum explores this important moment in history. 

The exhibition first opened last year, and officials are now moving it to a larger permanent gallery within the museum. The new space will offer a chance to include recent new discoveries of significant information concerning the identities of individuals participating in the Birch Trials and their inclusion in the Book of Negroes.

This fascinating 90-minute tour introduces you to all the secrets of the 200-year-old Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. Enter areas off-limits to the public, including the Henry Erban Organ, the cemeteries, and top it all off with an exclusive walk-through of the Catacombs themselves.

Even better, you will experience the whole tour by candlelight (romantic, if you ignore the dead bodies part). This unique and historic site serves as the final resting place for many prominent New Yorkers, including the Delmonico Family, General Thomas Eckert (a confidant of Abraham Lincoln), Honest John Kelly of Tammany Hall and the first resident Bishop of New York, Bishop John Connolly. 

On October 27, 1904, New Yorkers dressed in their finest clothing and hosted dinner parties to celebrate the big news of the year. After four years of messy, sometimes controversial construction, a subway had opened in New York City. Officials didn't know if people would show up for its debut, but more than 100,000 people descended beneath the ground that evening to traverse the system's 9 miles and 28 stations. The next day, a Sunday, more than 1 million people showed up on the subway's first full open day. 

It may not seem like a big deal to us now, but the subway was revolutionary—and it still is. A fascinating new exhibit at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn digs into the history and the future of our underground rail system. Titled "The Subway Is...," the exhibition brings together artifacts, photos, multimedia installations, old advertisements, train models and more to tell the story of our city's subway system. 

Pieces Bar has been a West Village staple for more than three decades. And for 18 years of that tenure, the historic spot has played host to one of New York City’s best bingo nights.

Every Sunday, guests can enjoy Happy Hour Drag Bingo hosted by drag queen Chaka Khanvict, with seating starting at 5pm and the game starting at 6pm. Grab your game board—$5 for a single, $10 for a page of four or $20 for three sheets of four boards for the best chances to win big—and play for amazing prizes like tickets for two to the Broadway Comedy Club, merchandise from Absolut Vodka and Andrew Christian, and a VIP Pieces Card, which gets you a free drink every day for a month.

Speaking of drinks, happy-hour specials include $6 margaritas, mimosas, bellinis and Bloody Mary, plus $8 Long Island Iced Teas from 2pm to 8pm.

Pop on over to American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey for an immersive experience dedicated to bubbles. This surreal and colorful world promises to delight all ages with themed rooms, fantastic landscapes, and VR tech. 

Bubble Planet promises to challenge imagination, amaze with the magic of science, and unleash the inner child in all. Expect to see oversized bubbles, balloons, and more in this sensory playground.

When Robert A. Caro's The Power Broker was first published 50 years ago, the book's release was met with great anticipation. Excerpts in The New Yorker gained lots of attention—including from the biography's subject, NYC government official Robert Moses, who described the deeply researched book as "venomous." Even so, it was impossible to predict whether a 700,000-word biography would resonate with readers. 

The book quickly earned acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize and finding a home on bookshelves across America, especially among New Yorkers. Now, five decades later, the monumental work still resonates for its look at NYC’s past and the lessons it holds for our future. The book and its tenacious author are the subject of a new exhibit at The New-York Historical titled “Robert Caro’s The Power Broker at 50." See it at the Upper West Side museum through August 3, 2025. 

Fancy gowns and celebrity outfits are no strangers to museum collections. But the everyday clothing found in closets across America typically gets overlooked by fashion exhibits.

A new show coming to The New York Historical, titled "Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore,” changes that. The newly announced exhibit will feature everyday women’s clothing from the past two centuries, including a well-worn Depression-era house dress, a college girl’s psychedelic micro mini, and an Abercrombie & Fitch wool suit bought off-the-rack in NYC in 1917 that was remade into a Relief uniform worn behind enemy lines in France. See the exhibition through June 22, 2025.

Start your weekend off right at Time Out Market New York’s stunning rooftop! Friday Night Vibes gets the party going on the fifth floor at 7pm with tunes from DJ Stretch (on the first and third Friday of every month) and DJ Price Is Right (on the second and fourth Friday).

Dance the night away with specialty cocktails from the Market’s awesome bar and grab bites from one of two dozen kitchens including, Jacob’s Pickles, Bark Barbecue and Wayla. Enjoy it all to the incredible views of the East River, the NYC skyline and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. 

Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building has been giving us murders to solve for three seasons, and now as the fourth season debuts, it’s giving us one more mystery to solve—in person. Hulu and The Escape Game, located in midtown, have partnered up to create The Only Murders in the Building Escape Game.

The escape game is played across a couple of rooms that have been outfitted to look like the Arconia hallway and Charles’ apartment. You have 60 minutes to escape and if you need a clue, there’s a red button you can smash that plays a snippet from the theme song when you push it. Staffers then shell out an idea for you to try. There also may have been hidden bookcase doorways, a laser and even a water feature puzzle. Check it out now because it’s on for a limited time!

This sprawling 16,000-square-foot space in Bushwick, designed to double as a concert venue and nightclub for up to 1,200 people, is the city’s first new wooden roller skating rink in over a decade.

Xanadu is decorated with a giant black-and-white photo of a group of young Black skaters taken over 40 years ago, a model for the energy in the room today. There’s also a rinkside bar, serving drinks with names like Skaterade and Purple Rain with direct sightlines of all the action on the wood. And in the bathroom, a surprise DJ spins a soundtrack for patrons to dance to as they wash their hands, a cheeky setup Kataria calls, “Club Flush.”

Need a laugh? The Second City—the renowned comedy club with locations in Chicago and Toronto—just opened in Brooklyn, and you will definitely laugh out loud there. The New York City venue, which opened on the legendary club’s 65th anniversary, offers hilarious live comedy every single night of the week.

The club has debuted "The Second City Presents The Mainstage Revue 1: Ruthless Acts of Kindness," a completely original NYC revue, which has been created in conversation with the audience over the last ten-weeks.

Some of the funniest names in comedy got their start at Second City. Just a few Second City alumni include: Bill Murray, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Amber Ruffin, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Aidy Bryant. You might just see the next comedy star on this stage.

The venue offers sketch shows and improv performances, along with a great restaurant and no drink minimums in a beautiful venue. Tickets start at $39.

Grand Bazaar is one of NYC’s oldest and largest marketplaces where you can buy vintage treasures, antiques, clothing and more goodies from more than 100 local merchants. Photographers, jewelers and furniture designers sell their best on Sundays between 10am and 5pm on the Upper West Side (77th Street at Columbus Avenue). 

Each week offers a different theme, from featuring women-owned businesses to focusing on handmade items to spotlighting international wares. The market runs both indoors and outdoors each week all year long.

Puttery is an adults-only mini-golf and nightlife destination that just opened at 446 West 14th Street by Washington Street in the Meatpacking District and is backed by, among others, Irish professional golfer Rory McIlroy.

The first location of its kind in New York, Puttery spans 24,000 square feet over five levels that feature an underground lounge and a total of three bars, including a rooftop one that will be open year-round (yes, there will be heat lamps on site). 

Head to a beloved West Village music shop for a banging musical comedy blowout every Friday night. This variety show mixes music, comedy, and characters with apperances by Stephen Sihelnik (NY Comedy Festival), Natan Badalov (Adult Swim), Alexander Payne (Netflix), and surprise guests.

Fun fact: The event's set in New York's oldest continually-run music and record store, Music Inn World Instruments. It's been in operation since 1958 and has been heavily featured in the first two seasons of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

Show up early, save a seat and BYOB: You're in for a party.

Beautiful, buoyant, beguiling bubbles are back at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens. The beloved bubbles exhibit, which had been closed for five years, has returned bigger, better and bubblier than ever.

The Big Bubble Experiment encourages kids of all ages to experiment and discover through the joy of playing with bubbles. That includes blowing, stretching, popping and looking closely to see what happens at each move. 

The exhibit features 10 stations, each one with different tools and methods for exploring bubble solution.

"How you doin'?" If you read that in Joey Tribbiani's voice, then you've got to get yourself to "The FRIENDS Experience: The One in New York City." The immersive, walk-through experience in the Flatiron District features photo ops, props from the show, and Easter eggs at every turn.

There’s a chance to pose with the "Pivot" couch, a backdrop that looks like the Vegas chapel, and a photo opp with Phoebe’s grandma's taxi. You can even pose on top of Pat the Dog, snap a photo with the giant poking device and take a selfie in Monica's apartment. Using high-quality cameras, staff take photos at each spot, which you can purchase at the end. But staff will also take free photos with your cell phone if you ask. 

It's not just a selfie museum, though. There's a fascinating display featuring the show's costume designer Debra McGuire where you'll learn about her sartorial choices for each character. Another exhibit spotlights artist Burton Morris, whose Pop art pieces decorate Central Perk. Other display cases feature set designs, signed scripts and a statement from the show's producers, Marta Kauffman and David Crane.

Here's our full review.

There's a reason Chamber Magic has remained a staple in NYC's magic scene for more than two decades: It dazzles, show after show, with tricks that'll still leave you awestruck days later. 

The charming Steve Cohen, billed as the Millionaires’ Magician, conjures high-class parlor magic in the marble-columned Madison Room at the swank Lotte New York Palace. Dress to be impressed (cocktail attire is required); tickets start at $125, with an option to pay more for meet-and-greet time and extra tricks with Cohen after the show. If you've come to see a classic-style magic act, you get what you pay for.

Sporting a tuxedo and bright rust hair, the magician delivers routines that he has buffed to a patent-leather gleam: In addition to his signature act—"Think-a-Drink," involving a kettle that pours liquids by request—highlights include a lulu of levitation trick and a card-trick finale that leaves you feeling like, well, a million bucks.

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.

If you're not a paint-and-sip kind of person, try Act & Sip, a beer-fueled acting workshop in an Off-Broadway Theater with expert instructors. They pair students off with partners and hand over the pages to a scene from a well-known iconic NYC sitcom or movie, offering tips along the way to help performers conquer stage fright and discover their inner actor.

This event is perfect for bachelorette parties, after-work outings, or just a fun night with friends to get on stage with a little help from liquid courage. You don't need any experience, but you must be 21 or older and BYOB.

Wild Captives, the nation’s first female- and LGBTQ-owned archery studio, is now open. It's a place where everyone can "be their own superhero." The studio in Brooklyn’s Industry City offers empowering and fun hour-long introduction to archery classes every weekend for $45/person. 

Each intro class includes a chance to learn about different parts of the bow and safety requirements. After the lesson, each participant gets a chance to shoot the bow trying to pop a balloon pinned onto the bullseye. Intro-to-archery classes are available each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bookable online for anyone over age 12.

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, starting at $29 for adults.

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 available now; 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.  

With a full restaurant, craft cocktails, comfy reclining seats and even more bells and whistles, this new movie theater in Hell's Kitchen elevates the movie-going experience. LOOK Dine-in Cinemas is now open in VIA 57 West, the pyramid-shaped building located at West 57th Street and 11th Avenue. 

With a 15-year lease, LOOK's operating in a 25,000-square-foot venue that used to house Landmark cinema until it closed in 2020. This is the company's first New York City location. At this fancy theater, you can relax in a heated seat while ordering dinner directly to your seat in the theater. 

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. 

On a typical tour of Manhattan, the big tourist attractions—Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park—get all the attention. But on these new walking tours by a local author, you'll see fascinating historical sites that you won't find in a typical guidebook. 

K. Krombie's Purefinder tours, "Death in New York," "The Psychiatric History of New York" and "Hell Gate," explore the city's darker side through meticulously researched and theatrically presented historical narratives.

Each tour covers about 2.5 miles in about two-and-a-half hours. “Death in New York” and “The Psychiatric History of New York” are offered weekly, while “Hell Gate” is offered twice per month. Tours cost $32-$34 per person; you can book one here.

From amazing costumes to Broadway history to fun photo opps, this long-awaited new museum is a must-see for theater buffs.  

You can expect the new museum to highlight over 500 individual productions from the 1700s all the way to the present. 

Among the standout offerings will also be a special exhibit dubbed "The Making of a Broadway Show," which honors the on- and off-stage community that helps bring plays and musicals to life multiple times a week. 

This is the only stand-up comedy show in a Brooklyn Boathouse, boasting some of the best local talent for free on the shore of the Gowanus Canal. Cuba Libre BYOB but beer, seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages are available for donation. Go see it every Friday night; check the group's Instagram for the weekly lineup.

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.

Every day, our staffers are eating, drinking, partying, gigging and generally appreciating their way throughout this fair town of ours. Which makes pinning down the most essential New York activities kinda…tough. We need to include the classics, naturally—art museums in NYC, stellar New York attractions, killer bars and restaurants in NYC—but also spotlight the more recent or little-known gems that we truly love. Consider the below your NYC Bible.