Ian Kumamoto

Whether or not you realize it, New York is undergoing a nightlife renaissance. Communities that were once driven underground and considered "niche" have blossomed and claimed their rightful spot in the city's entertainment ecosystem—Note the whirlwind success of Charli xcx's BRAT last year.  Whether it's a new Latin party about to take over one of the biggest club venues in the Lower East Side, a Black-centered festival in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, or a party celebrating 2001 downtown NYC club culture, there's no shortage of exciting parties going on this month. Here are some of our top picks. RECOMMENDED: Out Late: Empanada Mama's flagship restaurant is the hottest gay bar in the city

Sure, you can shop til you drop at New York’s iconic department stores and trendy boutiques, but who wants to go through the process of wearing in a crunchy brand new leather jacket when you can find a soft one with much cooler patches on it? Like the city’s flea markets, vintage stores and consignment shops, the best thrift stores in New York offer great deals and the potential for amazing, unexpected discoveries. Plus, shopping at a thrift store avoids the fast fashion pipeline, because it's always better to reduce, reuse and recycle!  You never know what you’ll find when you browse the aisles at these NYC thrift stores. You might score some gently-used Manolo Blahniks for a tenner, stumble on the perfect mid-mod coffee table or find the old band T-shirt you didn’t know you needed. We've all spent a few washes trying to get a shirt to soften up, and thrifting almost always ensures well worn in fabrics. Some thrift stores focus on a limited range of items, while anything goes at others. Many also offer buy-sell-trade options. Whatever you find, you know you’ll be giving new life to someone else’s castoffs. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to shopping in NYC

It's well documented that New York City goes through major vibe shifts every five years or so, which means we're likely at the cusp of one right now. It makes sense if you think about it: We're at the heels of a recession, we're past COVID-19 but not exactly over it, and we're living in a strange new political reality that's turning every major American institution on its head. Through it all, New Yorkers will keep partying, albeit a bit differently. With less money to spend, even some of the most iconic nightlife venues are shutting their doors, and in their place are a new generation of DIY parties taking place in tattoo studios, Bronx bodegas, and other strange locations like we saw after the 2008 financial crisis. Remember The Night Heron, the party that took place in a Chelsea water tower? That energy is back. In honor of Stranger Things making its Broadway debut, we wanted to highlight other "strange things" around town, so here are five strange places New Yorkers are dancing at right now.

There's more than one kind of New York City music festival—in fact, there's probably one for every type of music lover you could think of. The first events that come to mind might be the big-tent fests like Governors Ball, but just as important are staple series like the queer-centered All Things Go, Afropunk and BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, which keep crowds coming out to our beloved green spaces and stadiums all season long. Overwhelmed by all the choices? Check out our hand-picked this guide to the very best summer music festivals hitting town this year. We'll keep updating this as summer approaches, so stay tuned. RECOMMENDED: The best concerts in NYC

June is Pride Month, which means New York’s LGBTQ+ is ready to party, celebrate and stand up for equal rights in all the city’s rainbow-wrapped glory for the NYC Pride March and more. The Pride celebrations continue all month long. If you’re looking for LGBTQ+ things to do, we have your back—we’ve assembled the best performances, comedy shows, parties, gay bars and events that'll have you dancing, singing, learning and feeling heard. And while there’s no official census or index, it’s believed that New York City has the largest LGBTQ+ population in America—and that’s something to celebrate all year long! RECOMMENDED: A guide to Pride NYC

If you’re looking for the best things to do in NYC this week, or even for today, there are tons of fun options, including Trans Day of Visibility events, the return of Smorgasburg, Hot Dog High Tea, pickleball in Central Park, New York City Fringe Festival, and awesome free events in NYC! For more ideas, scroll down to see this week's best things to do in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full list of the best things to do in New York Stay in the Loop: Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to get the latest in New York City news, culture and dining. 

April arrives with a batch of killer new concerts, and tickets for the choicest events are already on sale or will be soon. You can catch unmissable acts playing at the city's best live music venues, from next year's biggest popstars on the rise to veteran fringe experimentalists. And if you're looking for some late-night music, be sure to consult our monthly list of New York's best parties as well. RECOMMENDED: See our guide to concerts in NYC

Growing up, the sandwich was in constant rotation. A shelf-stable sandwich was a constant cast member in my brown bag lunch, from the reliable turkey with a squirt of mustard to the simple yet satisfying peanut butter and jelly variety, all of which was prepared by my loving mother. But as I've grown, so has my imagination as to what I can slide between two halves of bread.  The mighty sandwich is really a vehicle for all. Carnivorous appetites call for hunks of brisket and barbecue to pastrami-stacked creations. Yet sandwiches sprouting with veggies and vegetarian-forward ingredients can be just as satisfying if not more. And no matter what, a sandwich beats a sad desk salad, any day. When the hankering calls for a carb-laden lunch (or breakfast or dinner, we don't care), thumb through this list and discover your new favorite sub. Editor's note: We removed Bonafide Delicatessen and Cafe, Ciao, Gloria, Henry Public and Rowdy Rooster. We added Bark Barbecue, Calyer, Daily Provisions, Ends Meat, Ollin, Win Son Bakery and The Bonnie.  RECOMMENDED: The 25 most spectacular sandwiches in the world

They say everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, which is all the more reason to celebrate! From the annual St. Paddy's Day parade in Manhattan to pub crawls and live music, the Big Apple is alive with joyful festivities splashed in green. If partying isn't your scene, there's still plenty to do, like trying Irish dancing and participating in Sober St. Patrick's Day activities. Either way, grab your green attire, belt your favorite Irish songs and bust out a limerick—St. Patrick’s Day in NYC is going to be a blast this year! RECOMMENDED: See the full St. Patrick’s Day in NYC guide

NYC currently is, and we’re confident always will be, one of the best cities in the world for clubbing and nightlife. While trends and tastes have changed over the decades, the best clubs in NYC are always in-demand. Maybe you’re needing to blow off some serious steam with an all-night party, or wanting to impress someone special with a venue that’s a little more discreet and sophisticated. Either way, if you’re looking to dance the night away, check out one of the lively music venues, dance halls, and raucous haunts that populate this list. Back in the day, the majority of the most popular clubs were concentrated in just a few neighborhoods, but now the best clubs can be found from Ridgewood to the Financial District. For more places to get down in venues other than clubs, check out the best places to dance in NYC. If you’re concerned about cover charges and bottle service, remember to pre-party at one of the best dive bars in NYC. So get out there and bust a move, and if you do it right, you can keep the party going by heading straight to one of the best brunch spots in NYC. RECOMMENDED: The best places to dance in NYC

New Yorkers are truly funny. We have to be—we constantly face some of the most unreal situations with so many millions of people living around us from all different walks of life—and we pride ourselves on being able to take it all in stride. That's why you'll find some of the funniest people here. But it goes beyond wit. New York City boasts the best comedy venues in the world (Comedy Cellar, The Stand, The PIT, Caveat, Asylum, Q.E.D., and of course, the New York Comedy Club) that regularly host the most celebrated and the most up-and-coming comedians you'll hear. We've been covering the comedy scene since we launched in the 1990s, so we've been front-and-center, watching the industry grow and change over the last few decades, attending shows, talking to comedians and listing their shows. This month we're highlighting four New Yorkers along side eight other funny people from across the country as part of our national Time Out "comedians to watch" story, which you can read right here. We suggest you watch them—that is, follow their socials, check out their live shows and listen to their podcasts, because we think they're funny and going places. Soon, you'll see their faces everywhere. Below, meet our four picks—Kenice Mobley, JC Mendoza, Jamie Wolf and Alex Kumin.

If you’re looking for ways to introduce more comedy into your life—beyond the funny people currently streaming on your television screens—this list of up-and-coming comedians in America is the one for you. Our editors around the country—with help from Joel Mandelkorn and Mandee Johnson for L.A.—handpicked a variety of talents from Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, whose range in humor and performance styles truly offer amusement for everyone. Looking for something musical? Check out the clever comedy band that’s been rocking West Coast audiences of all ages. You'll also encounter the outlandish and the outrageous, plus some hilariously twisted jokes—because nothing's off the table with this whip-smart bunch. From a former comedy barker and stand-up favorites to people you might've briefly seen on TV, get to know the comics that should be on your watch list (ordered alphabetically, because we don't play favorites).

For some of us, partying just to party during these times feels a bit wrong, so we're always going to try and find a function with a good mission and strong community behind it. Enter rally NYC, a party whose motto is "music for movement and gathering, not escape." On Saturday, April 19, it is throwing a "fundraver" called No Borders at Mood Ring to raise money for NYC Migrant Solidarity, a mutual aid organization that assists migrants in crisis. Expect fast beats across genres like jungle and footwork, played by DJs Chelita, BATTYGYAL, Swaya, Duneska, Mangumami, and amita. 

This isn't a lucid dream—Grace Jones and Janelle Monae are actually performing side by side at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival on June 9, just in time for Pride. This year's festival will take place at the Prospect Park Bandshell and the stars' performance will begin at 7pm (sunset time in June is 8:30pm), so expect good outdoor vibes while witnessing two of the greatest queer performers to ever grace this planet.

DJ duo The Carry Nation are taking the "afters" to a whole new level: their party at The Chocolate Factory on Scott Avenue will start at 5am on Sunday, April 6, and go till 5pm that afternoon. Back by popular demand, I've heard their last "They Went on Forever" party described as "transcendent," with graphics of dreamy crowds projected onto every wall of the venue. This is a party that really cares about its customers—they invest thousands of dollars to install wooden floors of The Chocolate Factory for one night to make moving around more comfortable. Be ready to laugh, cry, sweat, and dance to some ethereal New York house.  

One of the most anticipated techno parties of the season, Nocturnal Emissions combines the sweaty sensuality of a circuit party and combines it with the intensity of a techno rave. Created by legendary party promoter Patrick Crough, this next iteration of the party will be a celebration of spring, featuring LOKA, KIA, Fashion, DJPT and resident DJ Alexis De La Rosa. They like to keep the warehouse location hush hush, but expect it to be somewhere in the Williamsburg/Bushwick nightlife triangle. 

Third Floor Sounds, the event series that hosts DJ sets in secret locations all throughout New York City, is celebrating their one year anniversary on Friday, April 4 at Elsewhere. This rager will mark the party series' first time in an actual nightclub, and for one night only, Elsewhere will enforce the party's no-phones-on-the-dancefloor policy to ensure that everyone stays truly in the moment. Enjoy sets by Third Floor Sounds founder TEE EM DEE as well as JAEL, shedash and Shek. There will be even more DJs in Zone One and in the Loft.  

Alas, the end is nigh: Nightlife giant Paragon is really closing this month, but it won't go out in silence. For its final weekend, the venue is throwing back-to-back parties with some of the best New York City DJs, including Byrell the Great, x3butterfly, Joselo, Eli Escobar, BEARCAT, TYGAPAW and others. Dance, and try not to cry, while you bask in the venue's sure-to-be-iconic final moments. 

Spring is in the air and we’re finally getting 60-degree days, which means hoochie daddy short season is on the horizon. The perfect excuse to break them in will be Club Quarantine Live at the Apollo Theater on March 22. Club Quarantine is a party collective that began throwing hip-hop centered zoom parties during the pandemic and has exploded in popularity since. For its 5th anniversary celebration, DJ, artist, and photographer D-Nice will be returning home to New York for the major event from 7-10pm showm followed by an afterparty. 

If there’s anything that exemplifies the quote, “you never know what you have until you lose it,” it’s the looming closure of Paragon, the nightclub on Myrtle-Broadway that gave us some of the best nights of our lives during its three year stint. The club’s flagship event was “Dance Planet,” a weekly party that brings together some of the best DJs in New York—and the world—into one space. This Saturday’s lineup will include Miss Bashful x DBBD, Panteros666, Fashion, OZA and Ladiez Drink Free.

DIY parties in unconventional venues are having a resurgence, and Third Floor Sounds is very much riding that cultural wave. The party series throws events in unconventional locations that have previously included clothing stores, galleries and weed shops. The next one is happening on March 22 from 8pm till midnight, and its location will be revealed once you’re accepted into the party. The event is pay-what-you-wish and they’re pretty in demand, so you’ll have to apply to get an invitation and hope for the best. Good luck!

There's gonna be no better way to close out Women's History Month than with Support Women DJ's 24-hour party. Support Women DJs has made a name for itself for booking all-women and femme lineups, and their big event at the end of the month on March 29 will take place at the collective's studio at 260 Meserole Street in Brooklyn. All proceeds from the party will go towards supporting the Violence Intervention Program (VIP), a Latina-led organization providing critical resources to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in NYC. The event will also be live-streamed on Twitch, bringing its mission to a global audience.

For some New Yorkers, Upstate is an abstraction, a giant blob of green that sits north of us on the map. But if the thought of that vastness scares you, you'd do well to hone in on the Catskills, specifically the area around Hunter, which has untapped nature while still maintaining access to world-class food and accomodations via its small, charming town.  One of the crown jewels of this part of the world has long been Scribner's Catskill Lodge, a three-star hotel with a pool, a dreamy library-slash-co-working space and a quirky sauna crafted from a massive wood barrel. They also have a very impressive restaurant, Prospect, whose dinner menu has items like suckling pig. That operation is currently run by Mexican chef Alejandro Reyes Herrera, who previously worked at a Three-Michelin starred restaurant in Barcelona before settling in the mountains north of the city. Why go now? If you needed an excuse, there's the recent opening of The Rounds. Located in a secluded area near the main lodge, Scribner’s sister property features yurt-like luxury structures that can be rented out privately. Each cabin features a curated collection of contemporary and vintage furniture pieces, private outdoor cedar "Japanese" soaking tubs and showers, and a central oculus—which also serves as a conversation pit—optimal for stargazing. When I was there, herds of deer approached the property at all hours of the day and night, and I soaked for at least an hour in the outdoor tub, with nothing but the

Peggy Gou's bold approach to house and techno music first got the club world's attention in 2019 when she dropped her highly addictive EP playfully blending English with Korean, "Starry Night." Then, in 2024, her song "Nanana" broke the Internet once more, cementing her as arguably the world's top DJ and producer. Catch her at the Brooklyn Mirage on Sunday, May 18, starting at 6pm for what's sure to be a high energy set, with music from her debut album, I Hear You.

These days, it might feel like there’s not much reason to dance, which is why it’s more important that we do, actually. Luckily, we live in a city that makes small displays of joy pretty accessible, and Bryant Park is hosting a slate of dance parties to keep our spirits (and heartbeats) up all spring.  Every Wednesday from April 30 to May 15, you'll find dance classes happening near Bryant Park's iconic fountain starting at 6pm, followed by dance parties from 7pm till 8:30pm. RECOMMENDED: Little Island just announced its summer programming, and it looks pretty great Hosted by dance curator and producer Talia Castro-Pozo, this year's dance series will feature music from all over the world, including salsa, Motown and more. The best part? There's no reservation needed, and walk-ups are welcome.  @timeoutnewyork This free, outdoor dance party at @Bryant Park NYC is a great way to blow off stream after-work activity. #nyc #thingstodoinnyc #newyorkcity #fyp ♬ SALSA HABANERO - MICHAEL WAYNE JONES It’s not everyday that you get the chance to take free dance classes and actually get to practice your dance moves in a crowd of people who won’t judge. If you get winded and need a break, though, there will be plenty of food and drink vendors curated by the Hester Street Fair, as well as a selection of beers, wine, themed cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages from Stout NYC.  The celebrations will kick off on April 30 with Cuban violinist Alfredo de la Fe and his band, who will play sa

Since its humble beginnings at D.C.’s Union Market, All Things Go Music Festival has become one of the most anticipated events of late New York City summers. With lineups that predominantly feature queer artists, the event stands sturdy in its values. Previous iterations of the festival have featured superstars like Billie Eilish, boygenius, Lana Del Rey, Maggie Rogers, Hozier, Lorde and many others.  This year, we have iconic news: the festival just announced that it has added a third date to its schedule at Forest Hills Stadium, and will therefore now take place from September 26 through September 28. RECOMMENDED: Strange places New Yorkers are partying at right now Last year, the festival made headlines when Chappell Roan pulled out of the New York City event, citing mental health concerns. Despite that hiccup, Muna, Reneé Rapp, Ethel Cain and Janelle Monaé still performed to much fanfare. Although this year’s lineup has not been announced yet, the event’s nicknames— “Gaychella” and “Lesbopalooza”—are a great indication of what’s to come.  Photograph: courtesy All Things Go Music Festival | Renee Rapp The hosting venue, Forest Hills Stadium, is pretty iconic, too: the facility used to be the home of the U.S. Open and some of the biggest acts of the 20th century have performed here as well, including The Beatles and Bob Dylan. It might be worth noting that the stadium is currently embroiled in a legal battle with its neighbors over noise complaints and recently got its n

New Yorkers are very familiar with mental health and many of us could use all the help we can get. Luckily, admitting that you're not okay has become slightly more normalized in our culture and a music festival focusing on the subject seeks to ameliorate the situation even further. Coming back to Brooklyn for its seventh iteration on Sunday, May 18 is Sound Mind Live's Music Festival for Mental Health. The event will take over the Brooklyn Paramount and feature music acts, comedy performances and panels that are sure to appeal to all New Yorkers who are really going through "it."   RECOMMENDED: Damballa is the hottest new dance spot on Myrtle-Broadway According to a 2022 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the second leading cause of death among those between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34, a statistic that the festival hopes to change by providing crucial support and helping people find the type of resources they may need. The event will kick off at 7pm and it will be hosted by comedian Jordan Carlos. Expect sets by psychedelic pop artist Børns, rock band American Authors, songwriter and activist MILCK and a spoken word segment by Hakeem Rahim. The happening will also feature panels and discussions about mental health, social justice and community healing, including a live recording of the Sound Mind/Consequence podcast, Going there with Dr. Mike. There will also be an audience singing experience led by the Gaia Music Collective. The focus on we

We're just as excited as anyone else about the Brooklyn Mirage’s massive facelift, but we’re even more excited about the slate of events the venue has booked for this summer.  The good news keeps on coming: 10 years after it first opened, the Mirage just announced it’s going to host its first-ever resident artist, and its none other than legendary South African DJ and producer Black Coffee. RECOMMENDED: NYC events in April 2025 Why are we freaking out about this? For starters, a residency of this magnitude is likely going to breathe new life into the neighborhood and venue, bringing a more consistent fanbase to the renovated space. Secondly, the Grammy-award winning artist has had an iconic career and legacy filled with great music and collaborations with the likes of Drake, David Guetta, Usher and other massive talent.  Black Coffee first became known in the scene for blending a genre known as “Afropolitan—”a mix of techno and African beats—with jazz and R&B to create a sound that is mostly chill but can also crescendo into high energy, ecstatic sets.  His four-date residency at the Mirage will begin on Sunday, May 4, and continue through Thursday, July 3; Sunday, August 24; and ending on Sunday, October 19.  Although Black Coffee has played at the Mirage before (and sold out every time), the venue’s renovations will guarantee his sets will feel even fresher. Expect the experience to feature graphics across the venue's hyper-realistic 270-degree virtual environment, includin

Golden Goose, the Italian brand best known for its luxury footwear, opened its fourth NYC store in the Meatpacking District last week. Don't expect a regular retail experience inside, though: the new flagship offers several immersive elements and nods to the artistic present and industrial past of the neighborhood that surrounds it.  RECOMMENDED: These are apparently the three best NYC neighborhoods to live in The new Golden Goose store on 812 Washington Street takes up 4,424 square feet of space and is home to several items that can only be found here—among them are shoelaces decorated with Big Apple-themed charms and several NYC-inspired souvenirs.  The shop features a “co-creation bar” where customers can customize products and a bespoke sneaker program that allows them to bedazzle shoes with a bunch of different details, from hand-painted options to Swarovski crystals and other features that will ensure you'll never run into someone wearing the exact same pumps. There's also a section called the “Con Amore Corner.” Here, find personalized wrapping options and seasonal treats like coffee, sweet delicacies and fresh flowers from the Con Amore Cart.  All in all, though, the store is designed to show love to the craftsmen and artisans who built the Meatpacking District from the ground up, and demonstrate how the neighborhood's legacy of manual labor is tied to the brand's Italian roots. You might notice the raw concrete walls standing out against warm touches and vintage wood

All over the country, the trans community has been under attack, and even a queer stronghold like New York City has suffered the impacts of the current administration’s policies—earlier this year, all mention of trans people were removed from the Stonewall National Monument’s website, prompting a series of protests in front of the beloved West Village bar.  As expected, New Yorkers have stood our ground and have refused to stay silent. Next Monday, March 31, marks the 16th Trans Day of Visibility, and there's going to be big city-wide organized protests. Here’s how you can take part.  RECOMMENDED: These are apparently the three best NYC neighborhoods to live in  One of the protests will be organized by NYC Youth 4 Transgender Rights and will begin at 4pm on the north side of Union Square. Just a few blocks up in Madison Park, there will be another protest organized by the New York City Democratic Socialists, which will focus on trans youth and trans body autonomy. That one will begin at 6:30pm. “ALL OUT FOR TRANS YOUTH! We’ve been tabling across the city, getting thousands of letters sent in support of Trans youth,” they wrote in an Instagram post. You can RSVP for that protest here.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by NYC-DSA (@nycdsa) Last year, The Human Rights Report referred to violence against trans people an “epidemic.” Today, the life expectancy of a trans Black person is 35 years, according to the Pulitzer Center. Despite out

One could be forgiven for thinking that, like many other parts of the world, New York has four seasons. But in New York City street lore, it's widely known that we actually have 12 seasons, including Winter, Fool's Spring, Second Winter, and the season we're about to enter this weekend, the Spring of Deception. Case in point? The temperatures will soar to a high of 80 degrees tomorrow, so whip out your picnic blankets and start making those outdoor plans now. RECOMMENDED: These are apparently the three best NYC neighborhoods to live in Tomorrow will start at a chilly 57 degrees, but it will gradually get warmer as the day progresses, per The Weather Channel. By noon, it'll be 74 degrees, warm enough to be outside with just a T-shirt, before it climbs up to around 79 degrees at 4pm. From there, the temperature will start dropping again and dip below the 70s starting at 7pm. By 11pm, the we'll be back in the 50s. We know this is exactly the type of weather that makes it near impossible to know what to wear, so we recommend layering if you plan to spend several hours outside, considering there will be an almost 25-degree difference separating tomorrow's highs and lows. Some of our favorite places to spend a day outdoors includes Prospect Park for youthful vibes; Flushing Meadows Corona Park for wholesome family vibes; or Brooklyn Bridge Park for great views of Lower Manhattan. You can check out the list of our favorite parks here. If you're really trying to lean into the full Sp

In 2017, Kava Vasquez, a Dominican girl from the Bronx, received a grant to travel the world for a year and conduct research on a topic of her choice. As an avid skateboarder who felt out of place back home, she wanted to step into the world and see what other women skateboarders were up to. She traveled to several countries including India, South Africa, and Mexico. In each of these places, she found small but powerful communities of women who found catharsis and empowerment through skating. "Seeing the passion of these women made me think, ‘Wow, I wish we had something like that in the Bronx,’” Vasquez tells Time Out New York. “I didn’t want to build it alone”. In 2020, she hit up a skateboarder friend, Mel Ramirez, and they created Bronx Girls Skate. RECOMMENDED: Let me tell you—roller skaters need more space in NYC Five years since it first began, Bronx Girls Skate has become a pillar of New York City's cultural landscape, and has made the sport more accessible for countless girls and women. Its mission is for the sport to be recognized and respected for its influence, considering it has shaped the very fabric of the city, from our fashion to our art, our streetscape, music and beyond.  Photograph: Raisa Abal | Kava skateboarding Vasquez grew up in the Bronx, but she always found herself leaving the borough to skateboard. The Bronx is still one of the poorest congressional districts in the country, and despite having a population of 1.4 million, it has no indoor skatep

“Out Late” is Time Out’s nightlife and party column by DJ, Whorechata founder and Time Out New York Culture Editor Ian Kumamoto, and is published every other Tuesday. The previous edition was about the recession fueled return of clubstaurants. There was a time in New York, sometime in the mid-2010s, when the craziest parties you could go to happened in the most unexpected places—we had club nights at dim-sum restaurants, raves inside half-emptied malls, and A$AP Rocky performing at art galleries no one's ever heard of. That city’s DIY spirit and sense that anything could happen if you knocked on enough unmarked doors was what made our nightlife more electrifying than anywhere else's, but it was squashed after the pandemic, never to fully return.  When I went to Third Floor Sounds for the first time last weekend, I felt the vague sense of a return to 2015. I had an address and no other details. Walking aimlessly up Elizabeth Street, I tapped into my 18-year-old self, who would walk up to doors in the same neighborhood, ringing doorbells until I found a party. This time, though, I arrived at a two-story glass, brick and aluminum structure, a beautiful and modern tattoo shop called Blindreason. Third Floor Sounds is a gathering that happens every couple of months at different secret locations throughout New York City. I’d seen clips of the party on the Internet before; just one year after it was created by 27-year-old New York native Tyler Davis (aka TEE EM DEE), Third Floor Sou

Rough Trade is arguably the best loved record store in all of New York, in large part because they don't just sell music. Over the past few years, the iconic business has invited dozens of artists and hosted community parties for music lovers, but their crown jewel is their Indie music festival, iNDIEPLAZA, which is coming back for its fourth installment on Saturday, April 12. The free festival includes a pretty stunning lineup this year and will be headlined by Swedish rock group The Hives, with other live performances by the hardrock punk band Scowl, experimental hip-hop group Clipping, raggae artist Pachyman and many others.  RECOMMENDED: Forest Hills Stadium might not host any concerts this summer following permit issues This year's iNDIEPLAZA will take place at the Rockefeller Plaza from 12pm to 9pm and will also include merch, an arts and crafts booth, as well as food and drinks vendors, including Cool Sips, City Winery, Puya Tacos de Puebla, and others.  The festival will be a celebration of World Record Store Day, a super niche holiday that celebrates the culture of independently owned record stores, which have long been a pillar to the music ecosystem.  In addition to enjoying a great lineup of artists completely free of charge, attendees of iNDIEPLAZA will also get a sneak peek into Rough Trade's soon-to-open second location, also located at Rockefeller Plaza, called Rough Trade Below. That store will span a whopping 4,000 square feet of space and will be located on

For decades, Forest Hills Stadium has been one of the few major music venues in Queens. The destination has also made a name for itself for hosting some of our favorite festivals, including 88Rising's AAPI-centered "Head in the Clouds" and the queer-focused "All Things Go." All that revelry might come to an abrupt end this summer, though, following a still ongoing battle between the arena and its neighbors, according to the New York Post.  RECOMMENDED: Damballa is the hottest new dance spot on Myrtle-Broadway The paper reports that, as a result of a feud with neighboring West Side Tennis Club and the Forest Hills Garden Corporation, the city was forced to deny new sound amplification permits to the arena. Specifically, Forest Hills Garden Corporation "denied the city access to a series of private roads surrounding the venue." As a result, the NYPD would not be able to "manage public safety around the stadium," indirectly coercing officials to deny the passes since the "NYPC would be unable to manage public safety around the stadium."  According to an NYPD Legal Bureau letter of notice seen by the New York Post, the arena has also been dealing with lawsuits from "angry residents who said their lives have been upended by increasingly loud concerts blaring in their backyard." What that all means is that the 13 shows currently on the schedule for this summer will not be able to be mounted... despite what the stadium itself is announced.  "Forest Hills Stadium is moving forward wi

When we heard that a bar called Animal was opening last year, we were pretty stoked about getting a fresh addition to the queer scene, particularly one that prided itself on top-notch cocktails and an intimate community vibe that wasn't dive-y. Believe it or not, it's already been an entire year since that bar first opened in Williamsburg at 307 Meeker Avenue, and it’s throwing a big rager next Sunday, March 30, to celebrate its first birthday.   RECOMMENDED: Damballa is the hottest new dance spot on Myrtle-Broadway During its nearly 12 months, Animal has created many iconic moments, including its New Year's Eve celebration, where Kevin Aviance rang in the new year and performed “Cunty” (which Beyoncé sampled in Renaissance) while dressed as Animal from the Muppets.  “As much as we dreamed of this bar for years, we could never have imagined the incredible energy, love, and creativity that our community has brought to Animal,” said co-founder Ashton Correa. “This past year has been beyond anything we could have hoped for, and we’re just getting started.” The anniversary party next Sunday will take place from 2pm until 4am and will involve drink specials throughout the day. There will be DJs of course, starting with Theoretic from 4pm to 8pm; special guests from 8pm to midnight; and Mark Holcomb from midnight to 4am.  Photograph: courtesy Animal Animal stands out for its stellar DJ curation and great cocktails, which includes special drinks like the Animal Spritz (St. Agresti