The best things to do in NYC this weekend

Celebrate the best of the west—the west side, that is—at the first-ever West Side Fest, a free day of cultural experiences. 

This brand new event includes free admission to museums, live performances, art-making activities and more on Saturday, September 30. The festival's hosted by The West Side Cultural Network, a group of more than 19 museums, parks, performing arts centers and cultural institutions located within a half-mile portion of historic New York.

Activities include free admission to The Whitney, tours of Poster House, a puppet show, live music, art-making activities and lots more.

Brooklynites and art aficionados can enjoy the sights and sounds of creativity as the annual Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival makes its way back to the borough this weekend.

The free two-day event takes place on Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30 at The Plaza at 300 Ashland and will feature hands-on activities and performances. Festivities begin on Friday at 5pm with an improvisational dance performance from LayeRhythm. 

The schedule includes a hip-hop dance class for kids, an instrument petting zoo, orchestra performances, jazz music and lots more.

Hundreds of food and craft vendors and multiple stages close down a busy Brooklyn artery for Atlantic Antic each fall. Spanning 10 blocks and cutting through four neighborhoods, it's billed as Brooklyn's largest street fair, so there’s more to see than stands hawking pashminas and MozzArepas. The eclectic musical lineup brings together diverse local talent and you can graze on grub from a delicious variety of artisanal vendors—washed down with some fab locally brewed ale, of course.

The annual affair, hosted by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation, has been happening since 1974. Activities run along Atlantic Avenue from Fourth to the Waterfront. This year, it's on October 1, 2023.

Hoof it around Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park in this run that stretches 5 kilometers and includes two pizza checkpoints: at each checkpoint, you’ll have to scarf down a slice of pizza before continuing on your way. In case you’re wondering, the pizza is from Table 87, “The Home Of The Coal Oven Slice.”

Top finishers get bragging rights and prizes, but everyone goes home with a T-shirt, swag bag and the warm fuzzies for supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. What's more, runners get a free drink afterward at the nearby German DSK Beer Garden. Even if you're not the kind of person who can run a 5K with saucy bread and cheese in your belly, come by to cheer on the runners. 

The run, hosted on October 1 this year, is the 13th annual event. 

If you're hungry for even more of NYC's best pizza, here's our full list of spots to check out.

In the 21st edition of Thirsty Girl and Angie Pontani's world-renowned festival, burlesque artists from around the world pull out the stops (and tassels) to showcase the finest the art form has to offer on four successive nights. 

More than 100 eye-popping performances from international leading burlesque and variety entertainers fill the stages at four nightclubs. The festival typically brings together over 2,500 enthusiastic audience members for live music, DJs, circus performers, and, of course, burlesque and boylesque. Plus, expect a shopping boutique with custom corsets, pasties, hair ornaments, vintage dresses, lingerie, couture gloves and more.

The festival kicks off on Thursday, September 28 with The Teaser Party at The Bell House in Brooklyn (don't miss the VIP experience on the history of g-strings). Then there's The Premiere Party at Brooklyn Bowl on Friday, September 29 and The Saturday Spectacular at Sony Hall on Saturday, September 30. The fest wraps up with The Golden Pastie Awards at Le Poisson Rouge on Sunday, October 1.

Visit the festival website for a full list of performers. 

This annual literary celebration brings together hundreds of spectacular writers from across the globe for more than a week of talks and shopping to satisfy the borough’s brainiacs.

Activities run from September 24 to October 2 with writers in a variety of genres: international and local, for adult and young readers, working in fiction and nonfiction, poetry, prose, and graphic storytelling. Events are free, but you’ll definitely want to bring some money to buy some new books to take home. 

While activities run for the entirety of the nine-day celebration, the centerpiece festival day on Sunday, October 1 takes place in the parks and plazas surrounding Downtown Brooklyn’s Borough Hall and other venues. Seven stages will overflow with conversation as authors come together to converse, read and sign books throughout the day. Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Hilton Als, Toluse Olorunnipa, Robert Samuels, and Colson Whitehead will all be on stage. Hilton Als will be awarded The Best of Brooklyn (BoBi) award. Festival Day also stages the largest book market in the Northeast.

Also don't miss the Virtual Festival Day (Saturday, September 24) and Children’s Day (Saturday, September 30). Plus, more than 50 bookend events will take place across the five boroughs and online.

Here's the full schedule.

Celebrate the cultural richness of Manhattan's Chinatown through dance, opera, film, visual art and music performances at The Chinatown Arts Festival. This year's festival runs from September 30 through October 25 with traditional Chinese folk art alongside emerging Asian-American artists.

The festival will include a tea experience in a bamboo garden, a block party to celebrate the memory of photographer Corky Lee, visual art exhibitions, dance performances and lots more. It's hosted by Think!Chinatown with festival curator Yin Kong.

Think!Chinatown-produced events are free to the public with the exception of sliding scale tickets for the film screenings.

It's time for the Blessing of the Animals, that magical day when your pawed, clawed, taloned and hooved friends get a little ecclesial affection.

The event at St. John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Ave.) is the city's most popular with an in-person service, then an outdoor festival. It's on Sunday, October 1 from 10:30am-3pm. This year, the celebration includes the return of the beloved Procession of Animals, which has not been held at the Cathedral since 2018 because of a fire in the Cathedral in 2019 and pandemic-era changes after that. Expect to see tortoises, camels, crowned cranes, sloths and more proceeding down the length of the Cathedral's nave.

After the service, head outside for activities and blessings to all the furry, feathered, or scaly companions. Local neighborhood organizations and environmental programs will be featured at the fair, and pet owners are invited to immortalize their day with pet portrait photography.

When genius meets genius, there’s often an explosion of creativity and inspiration but sometimes it leaves relationships in shambles. Enter Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas—two of modern art’s biggest players—who were actual "frenemies" to the very end.

In fact, the relationship was so fraught that Manet once ripped a beautiful Degas painting in half!

Drama among artists is what we live for, so this fall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibition, "Manet/Degas" will be the one to see. Starting September 24, it is the first art show to put the French impressionists’ relationship on blast and expose the sort of dialogue they had together through their art. 

Across 160 paintings and works on paper, "Manet/Degas" unfolds a tale of two wealthy French artists who were undeniably inspired by each other but just couldn’t keep it together.

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 27 through October 1 and then again from October 4 to the 8. 

Music from Southwestern Asia, Northern Africa and the Arab (SWANA) world will fill Joe's Pub for the third annual Habibi Festival, running Octber 1-7. Be transported to Marrakech,  Baghdad and beyond to hear what's wafting through the airwaves there.

This multi-night showcase features performances by award-winning Palestinian oud player Clarissa Bitar; a new solo project from Algerian raï allstar Sofiane Saidi; the U.S. debuts of Franco-Algerian cellist Nesrine, Lebanese Arabic maqam virtuoso Firas Andari, and Moroccan-French neo-gnawa-rock ensemble Bab L’Bluz; and the world premiere of a new project by Lebanese-American pianist and composer Tarek Yamani, in collaboration with Habibi Festival co-founder Yacine Boulares. 

The event's curators wanted to create a joyful space for performances and perspectives from artists rooted in the SWANA region.

If scrolling through social media to see pictures of cute dogs and hilarious cats is a favorite pastime of yours, then this new exhibit at Fotografiska is a must-see. Titled "Best in Show," the exhibition explores the role of furry and feathered friends in our culture through more than 100 incredible photographs. 

Photos show dogs in a variety of situations, like getting baths, posing, partying, shaking their heads and even dressing up in fancy “cones of shame.” Cats, rats, bunnies, birds, reptiles, turtles and fish get their moment in the spotlight, too, at this exhibition on view in the Flatiron District through January 2024. 

The show showcases works by 25 renowned photographers. That includes William Wegman's famed Weimaraner portraits, pictures by Sophie Gamand of dogs taking baths and images by the world's first professional cat photographer Walter Chandoha. From candid photos of pets at home to posh portraits of pups at the Westminster Dog Show, each image explores the unbreakable bond between humans and their pets.

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. 

Long before Pablo Picasso's works made it to major American museums, an art collector in Brooklyn identified the artist's talents and believed his works should be displayed. In fact, he wanted to hang Picasso's works on his very own walls. 

In 1910, Hamilton Easter Field commissioned Picasso to adorn a room in his Brooklyn Heights home with murals, but Picasso didn't finish the works before Field died. Now, for the first time, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is bringing together six paintings linked to the commission. "Picasso: A Cubist Commission in Brooklyn" opens on Thursday, September 14 and runs through January 14, 2024.

"It's an important aspect of Picasso's work that has been not researched on that level, has been not known before we embarked on this project," The Met's director Max Hollein said. "I hope the exhibition will be as revelatory to our audience as it has been to us."

The performing arts—with comedy shows, musical comedy and stand-up—can definitely make us laugh. But what about the visual arts? Can a sculpture elicit a chuckle?

This fall, a troupe of New York City artists want to find out. They're launching a free art exhibition called "Funny Stuff," which runs from September 23-October 13 at Andrew Logan Projects in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood. 

The art show features humorous works created by both artists and comedians. 

It's open Wednesday-Sunday from 2-9pm. 

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.

The annual New York Film Festival dates back to 1963 when it established a mission of bringing the best work from around the world to Lincoln Center.

Excitement is already in the air for this year’s 61st edition, thanks to the August announcement of this year’s main slate lineup which will include Cannes prizewinners Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, Wim Wenders’s Perfect Days, and lots more.

An annual treat that shows off the city’s cinematic good taste in a classy way, the New York Film Festival hosts many fantastic movie screenings and events that you won’t want to miss. The festival runs from September 29–October 15, 2023.

If you didn't get enough of outdoor movie season this summer, don't worry: It's not over yet. Rooftop Cinema Club is keeping the fun going this fall with a packed slate of films running all the way through October 31. 

September features a rooftop romance theme. Expect to see Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Love & Basketball, Casablanca, La La Land, The Notebook and more for the perfect date night.

Tickets are on sale here.

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 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

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. 

Back for its annual celebration of all things pumpkin (and your best opportunity to take a selfie with a scarecrow in NYC), New York Botanical Garden's Fall-O-Ween officially opens on Saturday, September 16. 

The event includes hundreds of pumpkins and gourds on display, hands-on activities like mini pumpkin decorating, 3D pumpkin carving, food and beverage talks, tastings and more. Two family-friendly Spooky Garden Nights (Saturday, October 21 and Saturday, October 28) will also offer Halloween-themed entertainment including dancing skeletons, decorating trick-or-treat bags, live shadow puppets, plant potting ad more. 

Master pumpkin carver Adam Bierton will return to NYBG on select weekends to create his intricate and nature-inspired pumpkin carvings, and to host a master carver competition. At the “pumpkin patch” at NYBG Shop, guests can pick and purchase the perfect pumpkin to take home.

Spine-chilling pop-up bar series Black Lagoon is coming back this fall. 

The "adult Halloween celebration of your nightmares" from bar experts Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes will return with immersive Halloween pop-ups in cocktail bars across 19 cities this October, including here in New York at Pretty Ricky's (101 Rivington Street). The experience will feature a curated cocktail menu of eerie Halloween-themed drinks created by Ramage and Hayes, as well as transforming the hosting drinking dives into macabre dens festooned with frightfully fun decor. 

This spot really puts the BOO in booze.

Prepare to scream in horror. Blood Manor is confirmed to return to New York City this fall from September 29-November 4, marking the haunted house's 20th season in the city. 

To celebrate two decades of terrifying New Yorkers, Blood Manor will present yet another theater-quality production. The space in Soho at 359 Broadway will include three new rooms, and brand-new costumes by designers from Abracadabra, Manhattan's iconic Halloween store. The multiroom immersive experience employs professional actors, set designers and makeup artists, and promises to leave visitors more afraid than ever in 2023. 

Blood Manor’s most infamous attractions will return for repeat visitors looking to relive their self-induced terrors, and the space will be revamped, and amplified to intensify the fear factor. Visitors will journey through dark, sinister corridors filled with twisted characters and jumpscares at every turn.

If you want your spooky celebrations to be more festive and less frightening, Halloween House is serving up a fear-free All Hallows Eve attraction at The Oculus this fall.

Kicking off on Friday, September 29, and running through Wednesday, November 1, Halloween House—which welcomed 100,000 visitors across its various locations last year—will take over the transportation and shopping hub at 185 Greenwich Street with an array of immersive, intricately designed themed rooms: a Glow in the Dark space, a mysterious Vampires' Lair, a Horror Movie Graveyard and an indoor pumpkin patch, among others. 

Unlike traditional haunted houses, the all-ages Halloween House "sets itself apart by delivering entertainment through meticulously detailed environments, devoid of actors, jump scares, and strobe lights," reads a press release. In terms of decorations, expect more ghouls and graveyards, not gross-out gore or ghastly characters.

You can get tickets at the Halloween House website; adult entry costs $40, while tickets for kids and under are set at $35. 

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 cost $39 per person.

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.

Kick off your October with some laughter during this October 1 comedy show, "An Untitled Evening with Ikechukwu Ufomadu." Comedians Eudora Peterson, Pat Burtscher, and Edy Modica will provide opening sets before Ufomadu takes the stage. They'll all workshop new material and polish old gems for your listening enjoyment. See the show at Littlefield in Brooklyn.

The Rooftop at Pier 17 is planning a packed season of outdoor musical perfomances.

Here's the upcoming lineup:

• 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.

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.

Shop 'til you drop at FAD Market, a curated fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace, which is back for 2023. Expect to see your favorite makers plus brand new creatives to help you live smarter, gift better and support local businesses. 

FAD—which stands for Fashion, Art and Design—takes over different venues with a horde of independent vendors and creators. Admission is free and dogs are welcome!

This weekend's event — on September 30 and October 1 at Empire Stores in Dumbo — will spotlight Hispanic and Latinx Makers for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Stephen Sondheim's highly anticipated final musical finally has an opening date and cast.

"Here We Are" the new musical from legendary American composer Stephen Sondheim and David Ives will make its debut on Thursday, September 28 in The Shed’s Griffin Theater (545 W. 30th Street). Following the previews, the official opening night will be held on Sunday, October 22, for a limited engagement of 15 weeks only.  

The musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by Tony Award nominee David Ives, and is inspired by two films, "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" and "The Exterminating Angel," by Luis Buñuel. Formerly named "Square One" this is play has the final music and lyrics Sondheim wrote before his passed away in November 2021.

Tickets to "Here We Are" are on sale here.

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. 

Explore the power of books at this new Grolier Club exhibition, "The Best-Read Army in the World." The show tells the story of how the U.S. military fought against propaganda and promoted free thought by disseminating more than one billion books, magazines, and newspapers to 16 million American troops worldwide, partnering with the U.S. publishing industry to create pocket-sized paperback books called "Armed Services Editions," as well as petite issues of newspapers and popular magazines.

See 225 pieces, including miniature books and periodicals, photographs, posters, artwork, propaganda leaflets, and letters. Highlights include rare prototypes for troop-friendly publications, a bundle of Armed Services Editions in its original packaging, a U.S. army librarian uniform, and a display on World War II-era book bans.

"The Best-Read Army in the World" is on view at the Upper East Side club from September 27 through December 30, 2023; it's free to visit.

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.

Known for her rhythmic looped-wire sculptures, groundbreaking artist Rush Asawa will get the spotlight at The Whitney this fall in a fresh new way. Asawa dedicated herself to daily drawing exercises, which served as the connective tissue―or through line―of her creative process and fueled her commitment to art.

But until now, her drawing hasn't gotten much attention. In fact, "Ruth Asawa Through Line" is the first exhibition to examine the sculptor's oeuvre through the lens of her lifelong drawing practice. Through drawing, Asawa explored her surroundings and turned everyday encounters into moments of profound beauty, endowing ordinary objects with new aesthetic possibilities.

"Ruth Asawa Through Line" will run from September 16-January 15, 2024.

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.

Can cow manure be turned into casings for loudspeakers and lamps? MoMA’s latest exhibition says “yes.”

“Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design” is now open on the museum’s street-level gallery. The exhibit explores the ways designers can repurpose the materials around us to extend their life cycle and promote environmental preservation. Approximately 80 pieces will be on display, including bricks made from crop waste and fungi mycelium and panels made from corn husks. 

The exhibition, curated by Paola Antonelli, will be on display until July 7, 2024.

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.

In a year where NYC has seen no snow, sweltering days and wildfire smoke, the Poster House's fall exhibition feels staggeringly relevant. The exhibit "We Tried to Warn You! Environmental Crisis Posters, 1970–2020" features 33 works that have shaped the worldwide public debate on environmental issues including clean energy, endangered species, and air and water quality. 

Ranging in style from whimsical to apocalyptic, the works examine international awareness campaigns and federal advertisements that aimed to address environmental crises as they evolved from regional problems to a global disaster. Exhibited works mark important events and movements, including the first Earth Day in 1970, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States a few years later, and the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. 

Artists whose posters are exhibited include: Amos Kennedy, Robert Rauschenberg, Per Arnoldi, Tom Eckersley, Freidensreich Hundertwasser, Hans Erni and Milton Glaser, among others. This exhibition is supported by the Simons Foundation. The show runs from September 28-February 25, 2024.

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.

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.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, this film series at Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria celebrates the insatiable beats and lyrics of hip-hop. The series will focus on hip-hop artists who have appeared on the big screen, including Queen Latifah, Tupac, and Ice Cube. In addition to the screenings, "Real Rap" will feature special guest speakers, discussions, a spoken word showcase and a dance party. 

Titles include Baby Boy, Just Wright, Poetic Justice, Barbershop, 8 Mile, Ghosts of Mars, and other titles to be announced. Real Rap: Hip-Hop Star Power on Screen runs through October 21. 

If you think you’ve seen everything Barbie-fied, here’s a new expression of our universal love for Barbie: A Barbie corn maze. Yes, the Northeastern fall tradition is going full-on Barbie at Happy Day Farm this fall, as part of the Manalapan, New Jersey farm’s annual Fall Festival. 

The corn maze is 10 acres with two parts: a short, 15-25 minute path, as well as a larger part for maze enthusiasts, which can take about 45 minutes to 1 hour to rove through, or longer if you’re eager for a perfect Instagram moment in the Barbie corn maze. 

The Barbie corn maze opens on September 10, at Happy Day Farm’s Fall Festival which runs through October 30. 

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).

"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.  

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.

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.

With vibrant pink fringe, ornate patterns, full skirts and sophisticated suits, a new exhibit at the Brooklyn museum showcases the dazzling fashion of Africa. Titled "Africa Fashion," the exhibition features more than 300 works, including fashion, music, film, visual art and photography, as well as textiles and jewelry from the Museum’s Arts of Africa collection. It's the largest-ever presentation of this subject in North America. 

Africa Fashion celebrates the creativity, ingenuity and impact of African fashions, from the start of the independence era to today. The show's organized thematically, with sections such as The Cultural Renaissance exploring radical change through fashion and Politics and Poetics of Cloth showing how wearing of Indigenous cloth became a strategic political act. More than 40 designers and artists from 20 African countries are represented, many of whose works are on view for the first time in the United States. 

See Africa Fashion through October 22 in Brooklyn.

Trees are getting center stage in a new exhibition combining art and science at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. “Power of Trees,” which features six site-specific sculptures by local artists runs through October 22. Here's what to expect at the show.

It’s hard to get good food on the cheap, but for seven years, Queens Night Market has prided itself on offering the city’s best eats for just $5-6. The foodie festival runs on Saturday nights through the summer and fall at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

There will also be other items sale besides food, including vintage apparel, hand-poured candles, travel photography, crochet toys, stationery, small batch soap, henna, vintage brooches, international handcrafts, NYC-themed apparel, gourmet dog treats, handmade jewelry, ceramics and local art.

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 through November 5 with adult general admission starting at $25.

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. 

If you're a Barbie girl who's always dreamed of living in a Barbie world, now's your big moment.

The Malibu Barbie Café, an immersive pink-hued pop-up, is now open in the Seaport. Boasting fun photo opps, a menu from a Master Chef finalist, California vibes and, of course, actual Barbie dolls, this cafe feels like a spot Barbie herself would hang out with Ken, Midge and Skipper.

All ages are welcome to experience The Malibu Barbie Café, which is available for booking through October 15. Each reservation includes your choice of entree and side item, full access to the Barbie Cafe experience and a 90-minute table reservation. Early bird pricing ranges from $22-$30 for kids and $39-$49 for adults depending on the date and time. You can buy additional drinks, dessert and food. 

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.

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.

If you can't make it to a tropical beach this sumer, Watermark Beach is now open and ready to help. 

This tropical takeover at Pier 15 features tiki decor, seasonal drinks and twinkling lights for when the party stretches into the nighttime hours.

Reservations are available here, so grab your Tommy Bahama shirt, slather on some sunscreen and party like you're in the Bahamas right here in Manhattan.

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 October and start at $29 for adults. 

Union Square even more fun right now with a pop-up from popular Lower Manhattan brewery Torch & Crown. The brewery's brought its beloved brews to Union Square this summer with a seasonal location running through November.

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

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. 

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 here.

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.

Smorgasburg is the food bazaar spectacular that New Yorkers flock to year after 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. 

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. 

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 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.

Peek inside this new, teeny-tiny shop in Harlem to find some fun gifts for someone on your list or for yourself.

MoonLab 42 measures in at just under 5 feet wide, but the store manages to house zines, books, records, incense, prints, candles, decorative objects, ceramics, jewelry, accessories, clothing and more. “It feels like a Mary Poppins bag,” Ruso Margishvili, the concept store’s co-owner tells us.

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.

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. Audiences must 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.

But 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.

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.

After two years of outdoor play, Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar has expanded with an indoor location with more space to get your game on while sipping a drink.

The new indoor venue is now open at Brooklyn's Industry City, just in time for chillier fall temperatures. 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.

Part visual splendor, part olfactory wonder and part ooey-gooey sensory fun, Sloomoo Institute’s slime museum re-opened this fall after a renovation. This captivating playground welcomes all ages to its home in SoHo—or “SooHoo,” in Sloomoo parlance (see what they did there?).

Here are five things not to miss at Sloomoo, including a chance to get slimed and a DIY slime making activity.

Have some fun this weekend 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. 

A new nightlife venue called Deluxx Fluxx has taken over the former Studio at Webster Hall location, a 4,200-square-foot space beneath the famed music venue in the East Village, inspired by early arcades, punk rock, hip-hop and graffiti culture.

The venue brings "an immersive visual and audial art space and arcade" that promises to reinvigorate the artist-centric venues that defined New York City nightlife in the early 2000s. Part interactive art project and part performance venue, expect live entertainment, DJs, pinball machines, "artfully weird" video games, custom video work, costumed performers, floor-to-ceiling blacklight art interiors and a day-glo design palette. Some of the arcade games offer their own New York City flair, like Crown Heights King where pigeons battle to be the king of the neighborhood.

Here's more about the nightlife venue.

Still working on that screenplay? Say goodbye to writer's block (hopefully) at Soho's newest coffee shop and creative space.

The Lost Draft, a newly opened film-inspired multipurpose space at 398 Broome Street (between Mulberry Street and Cleveland Place) promises to be a refuge for those eager to finally get those creative ideas on paper. Or on screen. 

Stop procrastinating and start writing, because The Lost Draft is open seven days a week from 7am-9pm, offering plenty of time to be creative. Here's our full story on the new cafe.

A bucolic 1920s English country golf club is on its way to NYC's concrete jungle! But with a twist. Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London brought with it 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, and at Swingers NoMad, there will be six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails from London and D.C., as well as 12 cocktails created specifically for Swingers NoMad, private rooms you can rent, an opulent clubhouse and four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

Brooklyn vinyl lovers are in luck because the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library has just opened a Vinyl Lending Library to its cardholders, giving them access to 400 albums spanning genres (hip-hop, pop, classical, country, show tunes and more) that they can listen to on-site as well as borrow for up to three weeks. You just need your library card. Listening stations can be found on the first floor.

The latest entrant to the speakeasy-theme scene, this Times Square spot offers a sexy 1980s vibe. The Woo Woo aims to evoke that last decade before widespread internet, its surrounding neighborhood of Times Square in those same, pre-Disney days, sex shops and, the reason for the season, speakeasies.

These themes are executed with a combination of graffiti that reasonably approximates the style of the time, vintage nude mags and video tapes, rouge neon, throwback punk show posters and the whole password thing. Drinks include odes to the era like the Donkey Kong cocktail and a Prince-inspired tipple with a butterfly pea flower “purple rain” ice cube. They’re also doing a cotton candy-topped cosmo and snacks like sliders and spring rolls. The sex shop elements are ornamental at the moment, but may turn retail in the future. 

The Brooklyn Flea is undoubtedly one of the most popular flea markets to hit in NYC if you're looking for the best selection of throwback wares and records, which you certainly wouldn’t find in just any vintage clothing store or record store in the city.

The food selection is also top-notch since the creators also operate one of the city’s best food markets: Smorgasburg. 

The Brooklyn Flea DUMBO is now open for the season. Brooklyn Flea also operates in Chelsea year-round on Saturdays and Sundays, 8am-5pm, and the new Hester Flea on Saturdays, 11am-6pm.

It's not every day that a new nightclub opens in New York City, especially one that harkens back to an old sort of New York—when nightclubs were the city's premiere destinations for some after-hours fun. That's why Daphne, a new subterranean spot under Hotel 50 Bowery in Chinatown, is so special. 

Upon entering the massive 2,500-square-foot space, patrons are pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful silk pink flower installation by art studio Floratorium. Dazzling disco balls also permeate the premises, calling back to a time when the dance club you frequented was just as important as where your apartment was located. 

Kitsby, a dessert shop in Brooklyn, has a new menu item that will surely entice you to visit Williamsburg, where the shop is located. Dubbed The Kit, the signature offering is a tray of bites that represents "second generation baking." Consider it Kitsby's very own Asian American spin on afternoon tea. 

The tray, which costs $38 per person or $70 for two people, comes with ten sweet and savory pastries. These include a black sesame financier, a five-spice shortbread, an asiago lop cheong roule, a mocha mousse cake plus a slew of other bite-sized treats. You'll also get to choose one entrée to go with your order. 

Every Saturday night, two piano men battle it out to prove who is truly the master of all 88 keys, with a playlist decided entirely by the audience. Whether you’re in the mood for Billy Joel, Christina Aguilera or current chart toppers, these pianists are up for the challenge. But they expect you to do your part by singing along, but from home. Grab a ticket and request songs in advance.

Bring your dog to the AKC Museum of the Dog at these special after-hours events called Furry Fridays hosted on select Fridays. Tickets are $20 per person and $5 per dog.

The Museum of the Dog has more than 180 sculptures and paintings of four-legged furballs as well as a “Meet the Breeds” table, which provides info on all 193 AKC recognized dog breeds, and other interactive fun.

In the micro category of subway bars–pour houses adjacent to the otherwise dry MTA–Nothing Really Matters is the latest from Adrien Gallo, whose previous endeavors included Double Happiness and Grand Banks.

It’s located between the entrance and the turnstile in the downtown-bound 1 train station at 50th Street and Broadway. The facade is adorned in signs for the newsstand and barbershop that previously operated in the station’s small retail areas. An illustrated haircut legend is still on display. Trash is strewn about. It looks like a subway station from 1984’s Ghostbusters. 

Inside, the long oak bar is backed by rows of bottles lit from below, illuminated like a boozy skyline snapshot. There’s a disco ball in the corner and the bathroom is covered in glitter wallpaper. Cocktails like the Empire State (vodka, maple, spiced apple, lemon), Knickerbocker bramble (bourbon, rosemary-blueberry compote, lemon) and the Time Out (Jamaican hibiscus, ginger, soda) are named in nods to New York. Classics, low- and no-ABV options are all on the menu.

There is something about the talent of musicians in uptown Manhattan that simply cannot be authentically replicated in other New York neighborhoods—and the folks at the Cloak Room, a jazz speakeasy in Hamilton Heights, know that.

The Cloak Room has taken over the space previously occupied by Hogshead Tavern, which permanently closed during the pandemic. Using the lockdown as an opportunity to re-invent, Hogshead Tavern co-owners Tara Wholley and Ady De Luna decided to move away from the structure of the bar that had become a neighborhood favorite and instead honor the musical legacy of Harlem by opening a spot dedicated to jazz.

Great Jones Distilling Co. opened as Manhattan's first and only legal whiskey distillery in over 100 years. Over six years in the making, the 28,000 square foot venue features a fully functioning distillery, a tasting room and several drinking and dining venues, including an underground speakeasy and full restaurant called The Grid.

 Visitors can book several different experiences, including a tour detailing the whiskey making process ($35), a culinary cocktail pairing experience ($145) and a hands-on mixology class ($110). The craft whiskey made at Great Jones starts with grains sourced exclusively from New York state. Exclusive bourbon and rye is available at the distillery. 

Roosevelt Island has its first-ever rooftop bar and lounge open to the public. Panorama Room is nestled atop the Graduate Roosevelt Island hotel on the southern end of the island. and the views are really unparalleled—perhaps even the best of any rooftop lounge.

Located on the 18th floor of the hotel, the "jewel box" space by Med Abrous and Marc Rose, who are food and beverage partners of the hotel and co-founders of the hospitality group Call Mom, opens up to incredible views of the boroughs, the bridges and the East River, which shine like stars at night. 

Its palatial vibes are set by luxurious velvet vintage-inspired tubular lounge sofas, chrome and marble touches, mosaic tile columns and its giant, tubular acrylic chandeliers that hover above the massively long bar. It's not only luxe but it's somehow simultaneously futuristic and retro. 

Ms. Kim's, a K-town karaoke lounge from Korean beauty entrepreneur Anna Kim, combines sophisticated style with sing-alongs. Envisioned during the pandemic, when we all just needed to belt out our frustrations, and spend some much-needed time outside of our homes with friends, Ms. Kim's offers both communal space and soundproof private karaoke rooms, so guests can customize their experience as it suits their needs.

In the main lounge and bar, mixologist-approved cocktails take the place of the ubiquitous karaoke bar beer pitcher. Ingredients in the signature drinks, which start at $16, include butterfly pea flower, herbal infused syrups and top shelf spirits. Fine wine is sold by the glass or bottle, and beer is available on tap or by the bottle. For soju, the 46-proof Hwayo - 23° is available by the 375 mL bottle. Fridays will also bring live music to the bar, for those who prefer to sway to the sounds of jazz, rather than sing. To eat, Ms. Kim's offers a short menu of Japanese and Korean finger foods, like vegetable or shrimp tempura with four types of salt, three types of fried dumplings, and chicken karaage with garlic ginger soy sauce.  

This adults-only painting party experience in West Harlem and the Lower East Side offers a chance to make your own masterpiece. Pick up a paint brush with cocktail in hand (like the Picasso Punch or the Sistine Apple) and see what you can create.

If you're hungry, no worries, Paint 'N Pour also has small plates (shrimp po’boy sliders, orange bbq henny wings, cauliflower bites, bacon egg and cheese sliders, french toast and chicken 'n waffle sliders). Tickets are $50 and include all art supplies and a 2-hour open bar.