Clayton Guse

New York City has dozens and dozens of famous spots that draw millions of tourists a year, but it's also home to abandoned bastions of the city's past that only urban explorers visit. Despite the city's sheer density, there are still secret spaces that lie completely abandoned and are ripe for discovering, but they're also mainly off-limits, so have fun—but don't get yourself arrested for trespassing! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best New York attractions

Whether you have extra vacation days to burn or need some time away from your cramped studio apartment, a Chicago staycation is the perfect solution. Without spending a fortune on flights, you'll be able to disconnect and recharge while enjoying the best things to do in Chicago, as well as the city's top restaurants and iconic attractions. We've checked out Chicago's very best hotels and found something for every itch—spas, cocktail bars, free amenities and seriously amazing views. Plus we've highlighted some fun activities to do around town. So what are you waiting for? Pack a bag and check in at these staycation-worthy destinations. RECOMMENDED: The best weekend getaways from ChicagoRECOMMENDED: The best day trips from ChicagoRECOMMENDED: The best Airbnbs in Chicago

Far beneath the streets and tucked away from subway stations, New York is filled with hidden tunnels and underground spaces that are the stuff of legend. If you’re freaked out by the most haunted places in New York, then the thought of what exists in the city’s underbelly is sure to send a shiver up your spine. Unlike many of the well-maintained parks and picnic spots around town, many of the city’s coolest subterranean locations are not accessible to the general public (though a few of them are if you don’t mind risking a trespassing ticket). Here are five places that will completely change your perspective on what lies directly beneath your feet in NYC.

Open House New York is returning for its 15th year this October, bringing with it behind-the-scenes access to more than 200 of the city's most compelling spots, from New York attractions arts institutions to beautiful NYC buildings. Slated for the weekend of October 14–15, the festival facilitates tours of spaces that are normally off-limits to the public. From century-old locations to contemporary spaces boasting cutting-edge architecture, Open House is any design, history or urban planning nerd's dream. As always, this year's fest covers all five of the city's boroughs, and includes favorites from previous iterations like the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the Little Red Lighthouse in Washington Heights and Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. But Open House 2017 also comes with a handful of exciting new additions. Governors Island's Ligget Hall, a former military barrack, will open up its secret archway gymnasium to the public for the first time. The New York Transit Museum will offer tours of its archives, providing an all-encompassing look at its thousands of artifacts that shed light on the history of mass transportation in the city. The American Copper Buildings (the pair of new angled skyscrapers near the East River) will give festival attendees one of the first tours of the structure's skybridge. Other new additions include Roosevelt Island's new research incubator, The Bridge at Cornell Tech; the sprawling apartment complex that is Waterside Plaza; the Cultural Services of the

In the past decade, a rush of music venues in booming neighborhoods across the city have closed their doors. Webster Hall is shuttered for the foreseeable future. Beloved Brooklyn DIY venues Shea Stadium and 285 Kent are things of the past. This trend has led many doomsayers to declare that New York’s vibrant nightlife culture is fizzling out. But last year, the City Council made a move to help stop the late-night bleeding. It formed an Office of Nightlife, a department within the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media. And this past spring, the person heading that office was made public. Her name is Ariel Palitz, the city’s very first “Nightlife Mayor.” The job of the office is to be a liaison between all of the city agencies and the nightlife community at large. Palitz is less than six months into the job, and while its moniker sounds quite glamorous, the actual day-to-day of the gig is more mundane. Palitz has spent the bulk of her time in office thus far hearing out concerns from an array of stakeholders, and is in the process of planning a slate of five community meetings this fall. But when things are humming along smoothly, Palitz says that her office will help mitigate fines, be a resource for education for venue owners. “It’s really about helping people open and say open,” she says. The idea of a “Nightlife Mayor” isn’t new. There are similar offices in cities across the world, ranging from Amsterdam to London to San Francisco. Palitz says this trend is a part of

Narrowing down to 50 the reasons we love New York City was a difficult task—inevitably, some of the things that make Gotham great were left out. But here you’ll find a curated list of facts that prove NYC’s civic superiority, spanning everything from our superlative nightclubs and our expansive arts and culture scene to our place in history as an incubator of innovation, be it with architecture, dining or the arts.

New York’s waterways have acquired a bad rap for being dirty, disgusting cesspools. But, really, just how nasty are the city’s waters? According to Melissa Rex, director of education at the River Project, the Hudson River is the cleanest it has been in 100 years and home to a booming ecosystem. “The biodiversity of the Hudson is actually pretty great,” says Rex. “There are more than 250 different fish species and a countless number of invertebrates living in the Hudson River estuary’s ecosystem.” But the rivers that surround Manhattan still contain trace amounts of chemicals, like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), which the River Project and other organizations are working to eliminate through various dredging projects. One of the biggest issues concerns the 20 billion gallons of fecal water that, every year, flows into New York’s rivers due to outdated sewer infrastructure. The so-called combined sewer overflow (CSO) system routes excess sewage into the city’s waterways during rainstorms or rapid snowmelt. But, overall, the water is becoming a lot less shitty. For instance, improvements are moving in the right direction at one of the city’s most notoriously polluted waterways, the Gowanus Canal. After decades of companies dumping their industrial waste into the 1.8-mile stretch, the channel is lined with 10 feet of toxic sludge. In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated the area a Superfund site and began to dredge up the gooey grossness (often described as

New Yorkers do a lot of walking, especially when compared to the rest of the country. Less than half of the households in the five boroughs own a car, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Nationwide, the figure skyrockets to 92 percent. People navigate this city on two feet rather than on four wheels, which forces us to pay close attention to our footwear. On any given rush hour subway car, you’re likely to find a wider array of shoe types than you will at a DSW. From sneakers to stilettos to snazzy dress shoes, New Yorkers wear them all. But among these varieties, there is one that is capable of causing intense debate: flip-flops. The cheap thonged sandals leave one’s feet exposed to every single disgusting element that’s present on the city’s streets, sidewalks and subway platforms. And at the same time, the wearers of these “shoes” give everyone passing by a clear view of the all of the grime that has matriculated on their feet. The general consensus among New Yorkers is that flip-flops are nothing short of blasphemous, but there are still plenty of detractors who wield a more laissez faire attitude towards flip-flops. The conversation surrounding flip-flops in New York is more than a question of taste or comfort—it’s an ethical issue that should rigorously debated. With that in mind, we asked Time Out New York’s humble team of editors and network of Tastemakers a simple question: Is it ever okay to wear flip-flops in New York City? The response

On February 14, 17 people were killed and another 17 were injured during a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was one of the deadliest massacres at a school in American history. In the months since, the Parkland students became nationally-known public activists. They’ve been on the covers of magazines. They’ve drawn outrage from pundits and conspiracy theorists alike. In weeks, a small collective of children galvanized a national movement calling for expanded gun control legislation on the federal level. It’s not unusual for young people to be integral members of national political movements. On May 2, 1963, nearly 1,000 children were arrested in Alabama in the Birmingham Children’s Crusade, which played a major role in changing the tide in the Civil Rights Movement. The Arab Spring protests at Egypt’s Tahrir Square in 2010 and 2011 centered around millennials, who used the power of social media platforms like Twitter to organize their efforts. And this year, the U.S. witnessed a new generation find its political voice. On Saturday, March 24, thousands of kids from every corner of New York City took part in the March for our Lives in Manhattan, a sister protest to the one in Washington, D.C., which was as much of a call for gun control as it was a thunderous roar from Generation Z (those born in 1997 and beyond, according to Pew Research Center) that said, “We’re here, and you’re going to listen to us.” We spoke to four NYC teenag

Chicago kicks ass when it comes to Bloody Marys—clearly, because we're also stellar at brunch. Whether you're looking for a light cocktail to help slowly cure your hangover alongside a cup of coffee or need a loaded Bloody Mary that could practically function as its own dinner to go with a side of fries, Chicago's got you covered.  RECOMMENDED: Our guide to cocktails in Chicago

Boystown is a North Side hub for shopping. Not only does the neighborhood boast one of the nation's best LGBTQ communities, but its shopping game is also on point. The area has several vintage clothing shops that are worth a trip from any corner of the city, a handful of high-end boutiques brimming with great finds and several sex shops that will turn your bedroom life from vanilla to smoking hot.  RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to Boystown

A few hundred Chicagoans came out to party for the second of three of Time Out Chicago's Yacht Parties this summer. The party on the lake with Anita Dee Yacht Charters was complete with Dark Horse wine, a DJ spinning tunes and incredible skyline views. See how the party went down, and get your tickets for our last yacht party of the summer here.    

Do you despise cars? Sick of them gumming up New York’s streets and polluting the air? Well, for one day only, you'll have the chance to gallivant around a mile-long stretch of Broadway without having to look both ways.  From 9am to 3pm on the Saturday after Earth Day (Saturday, April 27), the city is making thirty blocks of Broadway between 42nd Street and 17th Streets completely car-free. The initiative, now in its fourth year, gives New Yorkers a chance to imagine a world that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists over four-wheelers.  During the event, a series of activations and performances will occupy six different rest stops: Times Square (42nd Street and Broadway), Garment (38th Street and Broadway), Herald Square (34th Street and Broadway), City Zone (26th Street and Broadway), Flatiron (23rd Street and Broadway), and Union Square (17th Street and Broadway). Throughout the entire stretch, city agencies and nonprofit groups will host a series of environmental programs that promote activism and provide education on things like climate change and sustainability. There are certainly plenty of ways to promote environmental awareness on Earth Day—but this event is likely the most entertaining.

Finding a good Italian beef in the Loop isn’t as easy as one might think. Sure, there’s an Al’s Beef at Wabash and Jackson, but if you’re on the other side of the neighborhood Luke’s is your best bet. The place has the feel of an old school Chicago grease joint, and its beefs have all of the essentials that could satisfy a newbie tourist and a seasoned Chicagoan alike. The gravy is just salty enough, the bun maintains its structural integrity even while sopping wet and at $4.65, it’s incredibly affordable.

Marijuana might not be legal in New York quite yet, but Big Cannabis is already setting up shop in the city. On Friday, April 20—a day celebrated by pot lovers around the world—a shiny new medical marijuana dispensary will open in midtown. The outpost is the latest branch from MedMen, a Los Angeles–based cannabis company that’s entering the Empire State in a big way. It will be one of three dispensaries legally permitted to operate in Manhattan, and its other franchises have been dubbed the Apple Stores of retail weed.  The new space is located at 433 Fifth Avenue (at 39th Street) and contains 2,000 square feet of space to facilitate the slinging sticky icky ephemeray like tinctures, gel caps, vape pens to qualifying patients (they won't sell actual unprocessed flower, per state law). In a press release, representatives from the company called the dispensary a “best-in-class, premium cannabis shopping experience.” MedMen has laid out a major stake in the cannabis industry as more states have moved to legalize the drug. The company also has retail locations across California and Las Vegas as well as Long Island, Syracuse and Buffalo. It also has a cultivation and production facility in Utica.  The company says that it’s the first billion dollar–valued cannabis company in the country, which, if true, would make it a proverbial unicorn. While cannabis is not yet legal for recreational use in New York, MedMen’s new Manhattan location is more of a statement than anything. Accordin

If yoga isn’t for everyone, then doing it in the nude is certainly a niche interest. But one company, Naked in Motion, hosts stripped-down yoga and pilates classes across New York City, giving attendees a way to exercise and meditate in a body-positive space. It’s certainly one of the more unique fitness classes in New York.  RECOMMENDED: The best yoga studios in NYC “We're trying to create space for self compassion,” says founder Willow Merveille. “It's a busy world. There are a lot of messages that we're not good enough. So we're literally shedding all of the stuff, going inward together.” Merveille also points out that the classes aren’t intended to be sexual.  “When I tell people that I teach naked yoga, people want to talk about erections and touching,” she says. “We've got such massive anxiety about the body and how it relates to sex. It's important to sort of diffuse that in this space.” Nudity is mandatory at these classes, though women and transgender participants have the option to wear bottoms. The location of the classes vary, and tickets go for anywhere from $15 to $25.  Time Out met up with Merveille at a studio space to see exactly what naked yoga entails, and it contained all of the Eagle and Chair poses that you’d expect to find at a more conventional yoga class, with the added touch of empowerment and body positivity (just make sure to keep your head lowered for Downward Dog).  “It’s just yoga, but naked,” Merveille says. Take a look at what naked yoga actu

On April 20, Eddie Huang's Boahaus in the East Village brought back its special Cheeto-fried chicken bao in celebration of every stoner's favorite holiday. In February, the Bagel Nook in New Jersey unveiled a Flamin' Hot Cheetos bagel. And last fall, a Chicago restaurant chain rolled out a new line of sushi burritos coated in Cheetos, because nothing is sacred anymore.  The trend of slapping the popular snack on all sorts of food is alive and well, and it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. This month, chip-monger Frito-Lay is bringing another Cheeto-filled menu to New York, disheartening epicures across the city in the process.  Dubbed the Spotted Cheetah, the restaurant will be open for three nights (August 15–17) at 211 W Broadway in Tribeca and offers a three-course menu of dishes jam-packed with the orange indulgences. Created by celebrity chef Anne Burrell, the pop-up spot offers delicacies like Cheetos Meatballs, Flamin' Hot and White Cheddar Mac n' Cheetos and Cheetos Sweetos Crusted Cheesecake. Eating at the restaurant isn't expensive—the menu ranges in price from $8 to $22, which is perfect for any Cheeto lover who is used to spending just a couple bucks on a bag of the stuff. There are a limited number of reservations available, so hop on over to their website to try to nab a spot.  

New Yorkers, it's time to say goodbye to your squeaky Styrofoam food containers. Mayor Bill de Blasio's office announced this week that the city's Styrofoam ban would officially go into effect at the start of 2019. The news came after a lawsuit aiming to block the ban was dismissed. The law will make it illegal for food service businesses, manufacturers and stores operating in the five boroughs to “possess, sell or offer for use single-service Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam food service articles or loose fill packaging, such as 'packing peanuts,'” according to a press release issued by the mayor. The ban follows a measure passed by the City Council in 2013 that required the city's Department of Sanitation commissioner to look into whether or not the material could be recycled in an environmentally friendly and economically feasible way. It was found that it cannot, and over the next six months, businesses in the city will be forced to find alternative packaging for their goods. The city will provide purveyors of Styrofoam with a six-month grace period before slapping them with a fine for doling out the pollutive material. Nonprofits and small businesses will also be able to apply for an exemption from the rule, so long as they can prove that purchasing alternates to Styrofoam would cause them financial hardship. The new foam ban is the latest in a wave of initiatives to make New York a little bit better at recycling. Last month, City Council member Rafael Espinal introduced

Next Tuesday marks the 17th anniversary of 9/11, and New Yorkers have already gotten a powerful reminder of the tragic events that took place in Lower Manhattan in 2001. Earlier this week, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum started testing its annual “Tribute in Light” installation, a pair of giant beams that mimic the position and shape of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.  The lights will appear over the city for another pair of planned tests on Thursday and Monday nights, a spokesperson from the museum said. Those tests will only last for a matter of hours, but on Tuesday, they'll be lit from sunset to sunrise.  Made up of eighty-eight 7,000-watt light bulbs, the spectacle is visible from roughly 60 miles away on a clear night. The beams reach up to four miles into the sky, or roughly 12 times the height of the original Twin Towers. They’re so bright, in fact, that they’ve been known to disrupt the migration patterns of entire flocks of birds. “Tribute in Light” first debuted in March 2002, just six months after the attacks of September 11th. It was set up in a vacant lot across from ground zero, and has since been moved to the roof of a downtown parking garage. It’s one of the more moving ways that the nation commemorates the largest terrorist attack to ever take place on U.S. soil, and serves as a strong symbol for New York City’s resilience. Sign up to receive great Time Out deals in your inbox each day.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon are set to hold their first and only debate of the 2018 election season on Wednesday night. The race pits the two-term incumbent against an actress and activist who has never held public office. After months of back-and-forth, the two candidates will finally face off on stage in what's expected to be an one of the more intriguing New York-centric political events in recent memory.  Here's what you need to know. When and where is the debate? CBS2 is hosting the debate at Hofstra University, which will be taped and aired with a delay at 7pm on August 29. Those looking to tune in can fire up the ol' tube and tune into CBS (channel 2) to view the event in English, and WLNY (channel 55) to view it in Spanish. It will also be streamed on CBS2's website, as well as their Facebook page. The in-person event is not open to the public.  When will voters pick a candidate? The New York State Democratic primary is slated for Thursday, September 13, a little more than two weeks after the debate. If recent history is any indicator, the winner of the race between Cuomo and Nixon will likely win the general election in November. Since the 1970s, New Yorkers have elected only one Republican governor, George Pataki. If you haven't yet registered to vote for the primary, you are unfortunately too late (New York does not have same-day voter registration). You can still register to vote for the general election this fall, though—voter applications must be rec

When you hear about a pop-up in New York City, you probably think of a temporary storefront in Soho or an Instagram-baiting experience like the Museum of Ice Cream. This fall, a new exhibit from the New York Civil Liberties Union will turn that notion on its head as it digs into one of the city's most pernicious policing strategies: broken windows.  From September 22–30, the NYCLU's pop-up dubbed the Museum of Broken Windows will set up shop in Greenwich Village. The installation will feature works from artists and activists across the country, all revolving around the “ineffectiveness of broken windows policing, which criminalizes our most vulnerable communities,” organizers noted in a press release. In a nutshell, the broken windows theory posits that visible signs of crime and dilapidation in a neighborhood like graffiti and public drinking beget more crime. It was notably put into practice in New York City in the 1990s under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and NYPD police commissioner William Bratton, which led to stricter enforcement of low-level offenses. Advocates of the practice argue that broken windows policies led to a sharp reduction in crime across the city in the early aughts, but subsequent studies have challenged that notion, finding that there is no demonstrable connection between broken windows policing and declines in crime.  In recent years, though, the city has reeled back on these kinds of practices. Last year, the NYPD announced that it would stop issuing

The New York City subway system is full of surprises, from pizza rats to kitty cats to summertime heat on platforms that rivals the Gobi Desert. But on Monday morning, New York City Transit alerted straphangers of a newfound mammal menace on the tracks: a pair of renegade goats. Two very baaaaad boys. pic.twitter.com/3fcb9QCxGh — NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) August 20, 2018 At roughly 10:30am, the herd of two was spotted by a train operator along the N line tracks in Brooklyn, MTA spokesperson Shams Tarek told us. “They were eating grass. [The situation] was called into the rail control center, and we notified police and animal control.”  Fortunately for the goats in question, the stretch of above-ground track they were found on is currently unpowered and not in service. There are nine contiguous stations in the area that are currently under construction, putting one of the three tracks on the section of the line temporarily out of service, Tarek said. The track that the goats were found on is currently fenced off, and it’s unclear how the boisterous billies made their way past the enclosure. As of 1:15pm, authorities were not sure where the goats came from, but confirmed that they were safely removed from the tracks by the NYPD.  Monday morning's kerfuffle was the latest in a string of goat escapes across the country in recent weeks. On August 3, more than 100 goats on the loose in Boise, Idaho set Twitter aflame. Less than a week later, dozens of goats escaped a livestock

One of the world's most prominent criminals is being held in New York City as he awaits trial. And during the course of his judicial proceedings, he'll be the cause of regular traffic disruptions on one of the world's most prominent historical landmarks. The criminal is Joaquín Guzmán, the Mexican kingpin better known as El Chapo. The landmark is the Brooklyn Bridge. The paths of each are poised to cross in a terribly inconvenient fashion later this year in what is quickly becoming one of the strangest New York City crime stories in recent memory.  El Chapo's trial is slated to begin on November 5 at the Federal District Court in Brooklyn. But unlike nearly every other detainee who is facing trial at that location, he's being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a high-security jail in lower Manhattan, rather than the federal jail in Brooklyn. This week, the New York Times pointed out that transporting the drug lord across the East River will force authorities to temporarily close traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge twice a day during the course of the trial. The bridge has already seen some closures as a result of the situation, as El Chapo has been arraigned for hearings at the Brooklyn courthouse. The trial may carry on for up to four months, making the whole ordeal a giant headache for those who are trying to get across the 135-year-old landmark via car. The situation is unusual, but so are the circumstances under which the notorious figure was brought to New York. El

New York City is a stylish place, but not everyone within the five boroughs has the means to dress to the nines seven days a week. And for those who want to impress at a job interview but don't own—or can't afford—any style accessories, the New York Public Library has a new solution.  The system’s Riverside Library branch on the Upper West Side unveiled a new collection of ties, briefcases and handbags last week, which cardholders can take out for occasions like interviews, weddings and other events that call for a little more je ne sais quoi. The accessories are a part of the library's Grow Up initiative, a lending program that's funded through the NYPL's Innovation Project. Any NYPL library member can check out a piece of gear at the location's second floor information desk, so long as they have less than $15 in fees on their account.  The program is only active at the one location, but the NYPL also points out that it has a whole host of resources for job seekers. “We also have information sheets on job interview tips, free career resources and suggested books, and websites and organizations that can help with professional fashion advice and attire,” Michelle Lee, a young adult librarian at the branch, wrote in a post.  So while the NYPL will almost certainly never offer a full-blown Rent the Runway option, it's good to see that they're helping New Yorkers clean up their look, one tie and handbag at a time.

New York City can be a pretty miserable place in the summer. The unrelenting heat. The baking trash and urine on the street. The stale, nearly unbreathable air. It’s all awful, and explains why so many people take an out-of-town getaway nearly every chance they get during the sweltering season. But perhaps the nastiest aspect of New York in summer is the scorching heat in the the city’s 283 underground subway stations. Last Thursday, during the middle of a heat wave, the Regional Plan Association (RPA), a local think tank with some serious credibility, went down onto the MTA's ten busiest subway stations to measure the heat. Their findings ought to come as no surprise to any straphanger who’s sweated through a shirt during the summer heat. The high temperature recorded outside that day was 86 degrees. The average heat on the platforms at those major stops? 94.6 degrees. The hottest temperature recorded in the data dig was on the downtown 4/5/6 train platform at 14th Street-Union Square, which registered at a blazing 104 degrees at 1pm on Thursday. The uptown 1 train platform at 59th Street-Columbus Circle also exceeded triple digits, with a recorded temperature of 101 degrees at 10:55am.  Graphic: Courtesy RPA The RPA notes that the sweltering temperatures found in subway stations is not only a poor experience for straphangers—it also poses a health risk. The city’s Health Department issues notices any time heat indices exceed 95 degrees, stating that such temperatures and

One of the year’s most glorious celestial events is set to peak this weekend, and New Yorkers will have a rare opportunity to take it in. The Perseids, an annual meteor shower that is widely considered to be the best of the year, occurs when Earth's orbit passes through a trail of debris left by the Swift-Tuttle comet, a real minx of a space rock that takes 133 years to orbit the sun. The meteors are visible this year from July 14 through August 24, but their activity is anticipated to peak this weekend on the night of Sunday, August 12 and extending into the early morning hours on Monday. NASA says that, at the Perseids highest rate, up to 100 meteors will streak across the sky every hour. New Yorkers are typically unable to view a good portion of the night sky's most spectacular happenings—light pollution makes most constellations all but invisible. But the Perseids are a completely different kind of girl, especially this year. A new moon will take place on Saturday, August 11, which will help darken the sky while the shower peaks. The meteors are bright enough to cut through the amount of light emitted from the city at night, allowing residents here to take in their glory in a similar fashion as, say, folks in rural Pennsylvania.  Still, if you want to view the shower, you'll want to find a spot that minimizes light pollution, says Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History. “I highly recommend rooftops or clearings like those in Central Park o