Ian Kumamoto

Looking for the best things to do in NYC this weekend? Whether you’re the group planner searching for more things to do in NYC today or you have no plans yet, here are some ideas to add to your list for this weekend: WestFest Dance Festival, the Lost New York exhibit, a Black comic book festival, Grand Bazaar, the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl, and free events around town. All you have to do is scroll down to plan your weekend! RECOMMENDED: Full list of the best things to do in NYCRECOMMENDED: The best New York attractions Stay in the Loop: Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to get the latest in New York City news, culture and dining. 

New York City has tons of things going for it, from incredible buildings to breathtaking parks. But surely, the top of the list includes NYC’s vast array of museums and galleries, covering every field of culture and knowledge: There are quirky museums and interactive museums, free museums and world renowned art institutions like the Met. Between them, they offer so many exhibitions of every variety and taste that it's hard to keep track of them. But if you’ve starting to suffer a sudden attack of FOMA (that's fear of missing art ;) ), don't worry! We've got you covered with our select list of the best museum exhibitions in NYC. Don't waste any time—head to NYC's best museum exhibits now! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to museums in 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 the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl, Spaghetti Disco: Mob Wife Edition, a Barbie-themed Schtick a Pole In It, the Black Comic Book Festival, the Lost New York exhibit, 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. 

Celebrating 4/20 is always a buzz, but the holiday in NYC has become an even bigger deal now that cannabis is legal for adult use in New York. Here's the rundown on everything you need to know about marijuana legalization in NYC. If you want to celebrate 4/20 in a big way this month, we know just the places to elevate your roll. You may gain some extra inspiration from watching the best stoner movies and best weed songs. Just remember to mind your manners with these weed etiquette tips from the Emily Post Institute. To keep the buzz going, check out the following 4/20 events in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to NYC events in April

It’s rare to be in the greatest city on earth and not have plans, but if you’re stumped for things to do in NYC today, consider us your entertainment saviors. Daily, there are awesome events to stream and new attractions to see, but if you’re searching for something really specific like new happenings at the city’s top destinations or something low-budget—like free things to do—we have everything you need listed right here. RECOMMENDED: Full NYC events calendar

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! Locations such as the High Line, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens and other NYC locales all have a wide variety of pieces awaiting you, from massive sculptures to eye-popping murals and graffiti. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit. Below, find the best outdoor art in NYC to stroll by on a spring day. RECOMMENDED: The best art shows and exhibits in NYC

When it comes to live music venues in NYC, you can expect a particular kind of atmosphere from those in Manhattan. Radio City Music Hall’s resplendent cushioned seating and Terminal 5’s 3,000-person sprawl have their place, but if you have your sights on the best indie rock bands, DIY vibes and a reasonable sightline to the stage, you might want to check out the best places to see live music in Brooklyn. We’ve collected together our favorite digs, from the best venues to see live hip-hop to the most brutal metal bars in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best live music venues in NYC

Grab your baskets—Easter is hopping closer and there are so many fun ways to celebrate in NYC! The spring holiday on March 31, 2024 offers a chance to celebrate rebirth, renewal and some amazing fashion at the Easter Bonnet Parade. When you're not hunting for Easter eggs or promenading down Fifth Avenue in your bonnet on Easter Sunday, you'll have to take advantage of the city's Easter brunches or head over to see one of the city’s best New York attractions, the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. Whether you go to church or find religion in the city’s best brunch, don your Sunday best, kick up your heels and enjoy the greatest things to do in spring. Hop to it. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Easter in NYC

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 parades across the boroughs 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

Badass ladies deserve a toast and that's exactly what Women’s History Month is all about—celebrating inspiring women from the past and present. Whether you see their incredible art in a gallery, hear them perform comedy, or learn all about their NYC lives, there are so many ways to show your pride. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Women’s History Month in NYC

The city is just beginning to warm up and thaw out from its winter slumber with some incredible NYC events in March, including St. Patrick's Day and Women’s History Month. For sure, we'll all be heading to the best Irish pubs in the city, but there's more to do from the powerful Harlem Renaissance exhibit at the Met to the fashion-forward Orchid Show at NYBG. And finally, we can start fantasizing about packing away that puffy coat and gearing up best things to do in spring. RECOMMENDED: Full NYC events calendar for 2024

Don't leave Valentine's Day up to fate. NYC has awesome amorous events, from concerts to dance classes and more, to attend with your date, your friends or even solo. Whether you love or hate Cupid's holiday, we’ve put together a list of the best things to do on Valentine’s day, including romantic restaurants, decadent chocolate shops and the most romantic things to do to get you in the mood—or not!  Without further ado, our list of Valentine's things to do, presented in chronological order so you can keep the fun going all month long. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Valentine’s Day in NYCRECOMMENDED: The most romantic hotels to book in NYC  

Bringing back its Annual Black Comic Book Festival for the 12th year, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is bringing together thousands of bloggers, cosplay lovers, illustrators and other members of the comic book community for two days that celebrate Black creators in the comic book space. Attendees will get a chance to attend panels, workshops and even a cosplay showcase featuring the work of creators from all over the country.  Events run from Friday, April 26 to Saturday, April 27 in Harlem.

Check out a three-week contemporary art event that's bringing together 61 artists and 125 works that celebrate and explore the possibilities of textile art. The exihibition will occupy four floors of 207 Front Street, an 18th century warehouse in the Seaport that is opening to the public for the first time; it was once used to store cotton and fabrics. Among the artists who will exhibit their works: Tania Alvarez, Lisha Bai, Orly Cogan, Alexandria Deters, Angelo Filomeno, David Kramer, and many others. The exhibition, which runs April 26-May 12, is free and open to all.

In the week leading up to National Bookstore Day on April 27, 25 independent bookstores across Brooklyn are giving away merch and organizing activitites for bookworms this week. If you want to have extra fun, go to any of the bookstores and pick up a Bookstore Crawl passport, where you can collect signatures and stamps of all the bookstores you'll visit. If you collect five stamps or more, you'll get a 25% discount that you can use at any of the participating bookstores. Stores taking part this year include Greenlight Bookstore, McNally Jackson Books (Williamsburg), Mil Mundos, and many more. 

The Mayday Festival of Resistance is back for the first time since 2022 on Sunday, May 4, at Maria Hernandez Park. Events include a free outdoor concert, party, and community celebration held in honor of International Workers Day. Show up for Rueda de Oro, Escuela Popular de Arte Sonoro, Material Support, Las Mariquitas and Discolocas. The volunteer-led event also features resource tables from an array of community organizations and art-making activities for kids. Cultural workers and grassroots groups will inform residents about their rights as tenants, immigrants, and workers. Speakers will highlight recent wins by workers on the frontlines and other ongoing labor struggles across NYC. It’s a day of music, art, and joyful resistance, where neighbors come together to build solidarity, mutual aid and people power.

Mike Tyson and Royal Queen Seeds, one of the biggest cannabis seed banks out there, are teaming up to host a 4/20 event at Times Square at 4:19pm counting down to, you guessed it, 4:20pm. Tyson's cannabis brand TYSON 2.0 and Royal Queen Seeds will be celebrating a partnership and the release of 12 new strains they will be selling, including Gelato 44, Dynamite Diesel, and NYC Sour D.

Looking to turn up on 4/20? Then don't turn down the chance to go to a party hosted by Beloved, a new and explosive party collective that is already shaking NYC nightlife. For their upcoming function at Bogart House, a penthouse-like venue in Bushwick, expect sets by Odalys, Sister Nancy, Chow Lee, Silent Addy, Spliff Happy, B Jack$ and DickByAir in the main room; and Dana Lu and Dada Cozmic on the roof. Their January event was a yacht party that featured Aliyah's Interlude and BB Trickz—basically, these people know how to curate a banger. 

If you're an up-and-coming comedian and want to try your luck, the comedy lottery hosted by Demetrius Fields and Austin Locke might just give you the platform you need—with a potentially big money prize attached. Every Monday at Flop House Comedy Club, hopeful comedians donate $1 to enter a lucky draw. Fifteen names are drawn and the comedian voted the best receives all the signup money plus half of ticket sales, which once added up to a whopping $238. 

Check out the Bronx Brewery's free ongoing artist series at Hudson Yards, which is bringing the works of world renowned artist Shiro to Manhattan for two months. The works on display explore New York's urban history through an aesthetic technique that mixes Japanese artistry with New York graffitti styles to create something completely unique.  See the free exhibit from April 25 through June 21. 

From now until mid-May, the Asia Society is hosting educational and community events in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. Among them will be a talk in April 30 by acclaimed author Amy Tan, who is celebrating the release of her new book The Backyard Bird Chronicles; A talk about mental health in Asian-American communities by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Dr. Sue Varma on May 1; a business summit on May 15; and much more. You can check out their full programming and get tickets on the Asia Society's website.

Co-created by Rachel Horwitz, Gus Laughlin, and Sarina Freda, "Look at Me" is a comedic dance recital that pokes fun at anyone living in New York is probably familiar with: Performative activism. The show includes multiple comedic dance pieces and other types of performance art by Gus as well as local acts Richard Perez, Francesca D'Uva, and Sydney Duncan. Catch the funny this show with a side of social commentary at PAGEANT in Brooklyn on Friday, April 19. 

Feast your eyes upon the best selection of contemporary and vintage jewelry designers at the NYC Spring Jewelry and Object Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea from April 18-21. The showcase hopes to provide a platform for jewelry collectors and enthusiasts to buy and check out unique jewelery all in one place. Brands taking part in the event include KIL N.Y.C., Duvenay, Jewels by Grace, Alex Streeter, Lily Streeter, Thea Grant, A Pocket of Rocks, and more. It's free to attend and do a little window shopping.

Taking over Union Square on 4/20 from 12-4:20pm, Dazed's block party is bringing the good times so you can get high on life (and marijuanna, too, obivously). The event will include sets by DJ Sarcastic, photo ops, giveaways and a 4.20 countdown and toast. Best of all, the event is being put together by Dazed cannabis, a trailblazing Black-owned brand based in the area.

If you’re a fan of bees—which you should be if you like flowers, trees and the continued survival of human beings on the planet—then you’re going to find these new "bee hotels" around New York City absolutely adorable.  The New York Department of Transportation and the Horticultural Society of New York teamed up to create these cute designated habitats in public plazas and across streets for bees to take refuge in. Dubbed “bee bunkers,” they will be used as pit stops for bees that are on their way to access larger green spaces. In fact, in the city, the insects have difficulty surviving, mostly given the relative lack of vegetation and limited access to nature. RECOMMENDED: What to do if you see a coyote in NYC Don't worry about potentially getting stung: The bee hotels were meant to attract tickle bees, a small native species that rarely stings humans, according to NYC DOT.  "Through this work, we are creating living spaces for native bee pollinators in the city, including both flowers and appropriate nesting sites," Dr. Kimberly N. Russell, undergraduate program director/associate professor of teaching at the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources at Rutgers University said in a statement. "Most bee species cannot live in hives, so we need to give them other materials to build their homes.” The "bee bunkers" will look like small bird houses filled with natural materials and soil where females will be able to build their nests and lay eggs. Researchers at R

A New Yorker jogging through the 72nd Street Traverse last Saturday morning came across something pretty unexpected: a giant, wild coyote prowling through Central Park.  In video footage taken by the jogger, you can see the lone coyote walking calmly and, quite frankly, minding its own business. As majestic as the animal was, though, most locals are a bit confused: what was it doing in the middle of Manhattan and how did it even get there?  RECOMMENDED: Dozens of adoptable dogs are taking over an interactive installation in Times Square next week Apparently, coyote sightings are not uncommon as the animals can pretty much survive anywhere. They’ve been known to cross highways and bridges and live throughout the five boroughs. Coyote spotted strolling through Central Park over the weekend https://t.co/rrLKzJDNzt pic.twitter.com/6GaMg5Vup1 — Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) April 24, 2024 “We have no reason to believe this particular coyote is unhealthy or poses a threat to human safety,” said Gregg McQueen, the press officer at NYC’s Parks and Rec department, to Time Out. “However, we advise everyone to keep their distance and avoid close contact.” We asked the Parks and Rec department what advice they would give to anyone who comes across a coyote in New York City, because we should clearly be prepared. Here are a few tips to follow: 1. Observe from a distance. This one's simple: stay away! 2. Do not try to feed it. "Feeding coyotes will only make them fear peop

Line dancing is to most New Yorkers what a queer club might be to people living in rural Texas: Something they know exists in some far-off place but carries with it a tinge of discomfort. What a lot of people in this corner of the country don’t realize is that there is actually a rich tradition of queer clubs and line dancing converging—and there’s one collective determined to carry on that legacy.  Stud Country was founded by Bailey Salisbury and Sean Monaghan, two friends who met in the punk scene at the California College of the Arts in Oakland. Together, they’ve created a wildly successful, nation-wide queer party where people can strap on their boots, learn how to line dance, and be surrounded by other queer people. Line dancing at Stud Country can happen to the sound of classic country songs, but it also happens to tracks by Britney Spears, Troye Sivan, and Ariana Grande. RECOMMENDED: Out Late: Inside an underground reggaeton party that only happens during retrogrades Salisbury and Monaghan started Stud Country in California, and since 2021, they’ve been throwing events in New York City—most prominently at the Brooklyn Bowl—several times a year. If you’re like me and aren’t completely sure what line dancing is, it’s essentially a choreographed dance that you do in a line and consists of steps you repeat in synchronicity with others around you. The electric slide and cha cha slides are types of line dances, but there are many other lineages and genres to the dance, inclu

If you’re looking for a serotonin boost or genuinely are looking to adopt a pet, the Best Friends Animal Society is continuing their campaign to end kill shelters across the U.S. with a artfully done pet adoption pop-up in the heart of the city.  From 1-7pm on Tuesday, April 30, Best Friends is hosting a “doggie play yard” in Times Square filled with pups eager to find a home.  RECOMMENDED: The best dog parks in NYC The pup play yard is going to be an interactive installation that will look like a home with a giant suburban backyard plopped in the middle of the city. All adoptions will be free starting the day of the installation and continuing on throughout June, thanks to funding by Blue Buffalo and Walmart.  Courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society The event is happening to celebrate National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and to continue Best Friends’ campaign to end the killing of cats and dogs in shelters. Last year, 415,000 adoptable cats and dogs were killed in shelters, according to their data.  "Roughly 7 million people in America are planning to acquire a pet this year, and if just 6 percent more people chose to adopt versus purchase their pets, we would end the killing of dogs and cats in our nation’s shelters," Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said in a press release. "Pets don’t belong in shelters, they belong at home. Our ‘Bring Love Home’ campaign is designed to bring awareness to dogs and cats still being killed in U.S. shelters simply because they

ポートランドでカルト的な人気を誇るアイスクリームショップ「ソルト＆ストロー」がこの夏、ついにニューヨークに本格進出することになった。しかも、2つの店舗をウェスト・ヴィレッジ（住所：540 Hudson Street）とアッパー・ウエスト・サイド（同：360 Amsterdam Avenue）に構えるという。 ソルト＆ストローは、受賞歴のあるシェフ、タイラー・マレックといとこのキム・マレックがポートランドで屋台としてスタート。2011年に初の実店舗をオープンし、今では西海岸とフロリダを中心にアメリカの数都市に進出している。2023年夏にニューヨークでポップアップイベントを開催して大成功を収めていた。 何年も前からニューヨーク出店の可能性を予告してきた彼らが、満を持して正式に上陸するというわけだ。うれしいことに、夏のオープンに先立ち、市内各所でポップアップが開催される。 ソルト＆ストローのニューヨーク出店を最初に報道したフードメディアのEaterによると、初回のポップアップは2024年4月25日（木）の夕方に「ブルックリン ブリュワリー」で行われ、パッションフルーツとゆず餅、ドーナツとホエイカードを使ったアイスクリームが提供される。 フード系ブログのThe Strong Buzzによると、2回目のポップアップが26日（金）の午後に、ウェスト・ヴィレッジにオープンする同社の店舗前で開催。これらのポップアップでは、1スクープのアイスが1ドル（約155円）で提供されるという。型にはまらない、「ちょっとカオス」なアイスクリームフレーバー（洋ナシとブルーチーズ、アルベキナ種オリーブオイルを合わせたものなど）で知られるソルト＆ストローは、いくつもの素晴らしいアイスクリームショップがあるこの街でも、歓迎される存在になるに違いない。オープンが本当に楽しみだ。 関連記事 『This popular Portland-based ice cream shop is opening its first NYC location（原文）』 『東京、クラフトアイス5選』 『東京、かき氷30選』 『オーストラリアのスターシェフが腕を振るうポップアップレストランが西新宿にオープン』 『ニューヨークのミッドタウンに建設の超高層ビル、完成予想図が公開』 『ホールフーズ・マーケットがニューヨークに中型店舗をオープン』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら  

"Out Late" is Time Out's nightlife and party column by DJ, Whorechata founder, and Staff Writer Ian Kumamoto, which publishes every other Tuesday. The previous edition highlighted Red Lantern District’s all-Asian drag party. If you grew up listening to reggaeton, then you know it’s an inherently sexy genre. Lyrically, the songs practically beg you to find the nearest body and thrust your hips against it. But as playful as reggaeton is to the casual listener, the culture around is sequestered by a set of rigid rules: Namely, if you’re a boy, you best be dancing with a girl.  To me, that’s what makes Mercury in Reggaeton, the two-year old Latinx-centered party, so iconic: It happens during the most rule-breaking time of year. If you’re not big into astrology, let me catch you up: Mercury Retrogrades are windows of chaos, of miscommunications, times when the normal order of things get turned on their head. If you’re a boy who likes to dance with other boys, for example, the retrograde might just be a window of transgressive opportunity.   Photograph: By Luis Nieto Dickens The idea for Mercury in Reggaeton came about when Puerto Rican DJ and producer Lucas Skywalker started partying in La Perla, a neighborhood in San Juan that throws the wildest, most ass-on-the-wall type parties. Per Lucas, people’s homes are transformed into makeshift nightclubs where cellphone use is forbidden for practical reasons—"the parties are not exactly legal," he tells me—and then they play reggaeton

New York City’s culinary scene would be nothing without its street vendors, many of whom serve some of the most delicious food across the five boroughs but rarely get the flowers they deserve.  To spread more love to these small independent businesses, the Street Vendor Project is organizing a giant, citywide scavenger hunt that will encourage New Yorkers to learn more about the street vending community and put some new spots on their foodie radars. RECOMMENDED: The best New York street food The multi-part scavenger hunt is taking place across Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens from May 4-17. To play the game, you’ll form a team of up to 10 friends via their registration page. Registered teams will be able to download an app that will give them different missions to complete by answering trivia questions, meeting vendors, and trying their food.  Once a mission is completed, team members will upload pictures on the app to gain points. The teams will also earn extra points for money they donate to the Street Vendor Project’s translation fund. At the end of the scavenger hunt, the points will be tallied, and winners will be given special prizes.  The two-week long scavenger hunt kicks off with an outdoor party in Jackson Heights on May 4 where participants will learn about the street vending culture of Little Bangladesh, which is home to about one-third of the city’s Bangladeshi population.  On Saturday, May 11, the scavenger hunt events will continue at Times Square, where local s

たくさんのビルが並ぶニューヨークのマンハッタンの風景を見ると、もう新たな高層ビルが入る余地がないと見えるかもしれない。でも、そんなことはないようだ。近い将来、ミッドタウン地区のパークアベニュー沿い周囲の建造物を凌ぐ巨大なビルが誕生するという。 2024年4月中旬、ニューヨーク市長のエリック・アダムスが、「一世一代」規模となるこの超高層オフィスビルプロジェクトの完成予想図を発表した。パークアベニューの350番地に建設されるこのビルは、62階建てで、総面積が約16万7225平方メートル。2032年までに完成する予定で、市長によると、同市に6000人以上の雇用をもたらし、パンデミック後の経済回復に大きく貢献する見込みだという。 設計を担当したのは、建築事務所のノーマン・フォスター率いる、Foster + Partners。床から天井までのガラス窓と景観の良いテラスを備え、空に向かって上る階段を思わせるデザインが特徴的だ。現在のミッドタウンのオフィス街でよく見られるものとは全く異なる外観といえるだろう。 このビルのメインテナントは、それぞれ2100人以上の従業員を抱えるヘッジファンドのシタデル社とシタデル・セキュリティーズ社。また、地上階には一般市民も利用できる座席、緑地のある広大な公共スペースが作られ、アート展示なども行われる。 開発に当たり、デベロッパーがビルの建設地に隣接するセント・パトリック大聖堂と聖バルトロマイ教会から余剰権利を購入し、歴史的建造物に1億5,000万ドル（約232億円）をもたらした。第1副市長のシーナ・ライトは、このプロジェクトを「民間セクターが協力してコミュニティーに投資する」例として位置づけている。 このプロジェクト全体を見渡してみると、かなり思い切ったものに感じられる。というのも、パンデミック以降、労働者を以前のようにマンハッタンのオフィスビルに戻すことが難しい状態が続いているからだ。CBSニュースによると、現在、何千人もの人々がリモートワークやハイブリッドモデルを選んでいるため、ニューヨークではエンパイアステートビル35棟分に相当する9500万平方フィート（約882万平方メートル）以上のオフィススペースが未入居のままになっているという。 市長はこのプロジェクトを住民、労働者、観光客にとってより魅力的な場所として五番街周辺を活性化させる努力の一環としていて、朝食会で次のように語っている。 「今日、経済を活性化させてニューヨークの象徴的な風景を拡大するこのプロジェクトで、『新しい』ニューヨークを作っていく取り組みを倍増させます。このビルは、マンハッタンのミッドタウンを世界で最も重要なビジネス拠点として、また労働者階級のニューヨーカーのための経済エンジンとして活性化させる、私たちの継続的な努力の上に築かれるものなのです」 関連記事 『This new skyscraper will completely change the Manhattan skyline（原文）』 『2024年に行くべき新施設9選』 『建築ルネサンス？ フランクフルトで超高層ビルを50棟建設』 『飲食店のレジ係もリモートの時代？ NYでZoom経由の接客が話題』 『オーストラリアのスターシェフが腕を振るうポップアップレストランが西新宿にオープン』 『タイムアウトマーケットがハンガリーのブダペストに出店』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら  

Ice cream fans, brace yourselves: Salt & Straw, the beloved ice cream shop with a cult following from Portland, is finally coming to New York City this summer. The best part? There will be two locations: one at 540 Hudson Street by Charles Street in the West Village and the other at 360 Amsterdam Avenue by 77th Street on the Upper West Side.  RECOMMENDED: Here are all of the NYC finalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards Founded by award-winning chef Tyler Malek and his cousin Kim Malek, Salt & Straw began as a food cart in Portland and debuted its first physical shop in 2011. Since then, the brand has expanded to several cities across the country, all on the West Coast and Florida, including a pop-up presence in New York City last summer—an activation that ended up being a huge success.  After years of teasing us with what could be, Salt & Straw is finally making a permanent foray into the East Coast market with a slew of pop-ups throughout the city before its official opening, the first happening at Brooklyn Brewery this Thursday, April 25, where the company will be serving passionfruit yuzu mochi donut and whey curd ice creams from 5 to 7pm, according to Eater, which first reported the opening. The second pop-up will take place on Friday, April 26, outside the company’s future West Village store between 1 and 3pm, as reported by The Strong Buzz. All scoops will cost just $1.  Known for its unconventional—borderline chaotic—ice cream flavors (think pear and blue cheese, Arb

Although she wasn’t fully appreciated during her lifetime, Frida Kahlo is now one of the most celebrated women artists in the world, and a new four-day event at Grand Central Terminal aims to celebrate her legacy in an unconventional way. A part of Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central will be transformed into a replica of Kahlo’s Coyoacán kitchen, complete with artwork and previously unpublished photos of the artist’s life, in order to celebrate a new cookbook that details some of her family’s beloved recipes. RECOMMENDED: The best museum exhibitions in NYC right now The event will take place April 5 through April 7, from 8am until 6pm. ‘Los Sabores de Mi Mexico,’ or “The Flavors of My Mexico,” was dreamed up by the Mexican soft drink brand Jarritos in collaboration with Frida Kahlo’s family. Visitors to the exhibit will first encounter a replica of the facade of Kahlo’s house as well as her kitchen, as well as 10 Frida Kahlo paintings interpreted by contemporary Mexican artists.  There will also be a “Paint your Frida” workshop for children every morning of the exhibit’s duration, where kids will be able to create miniature replicas of the sculptures on display, as well as talks by the descendants of Frida Kahlo, who will speak about the family’s food and some of the recipes in the cookbook. You can learn more about Frida Kahlo’s descendants on Friday, April 5  at 11am at an event called, “Introducing Frida Kahlo’s Heirs” by Mara R. Kahlo and Mara De Anda. You can check out a fu

If you've been living in New York long enough, then you know that four times a year the city's streets get particularly lit and rowdy: Pride, Lunar New Year, the West Indian Day Parade and the Puerto Rican Day Parade.  In an event that sounds like it will be mind-numbingly rambunctious, Red Bull is bringing all four of those parades together for one day on June 1 in a "Culture Clash" that promises incendiary DJ sets and performances. All the parades will compete for the crowd's adoration. RECOMMENDED: Giant puppets will parade through NYC to celebrate climate solutions The "Culture Clash" was inspired by Jamaican sound system culture, in which DJs load a truck with speakers and blast music on the streets for community-wide turn ups. The winner of the competition will be the parade that gets the loudest response from the crowd.  The clash, which is happening at 1 Noble Street in Greenpoint, will involve four rounds where each parade can play the music they want and bring out performers. In round one, the parades will give an overview of their sound. In round two, each will showcase the community and history behind their party. In Round three, each parade interprets the same New York-related song and applies it to their parade's culture. In Round four, only remixes and special guest performers will be allowed for one final banger.  Playing the same song twice will not be allowed and will lead to a disqualification. The enthusiasm of the crowd—and thus, the winner—will be measur

If you’re looking for the best public art in the city right now, a giant, 35-foot sculpture made of deconstructed rubber tires might just take the cake. The monstrous—or playful, depending on your perspective—new abstract sculpture in Manhattan bends towards itself in symmetrical loops, ascending into the sky and back down again.  RECOMMENDED: The best outdoor art in NYC this spring The colossus, which was created by world renowned artist Chakaia Booker, is located between 39th and 40th Streets in Manhattan’s Garment District, and was unveiled to the public yesterday. It will remain on display until November 1.  Booker is an artist from Newark best known for creating huge works made primarily from rubber tires and meant to capture people’s attention. Her art has been exhibited across four continents and she also exhibited her work at the 2000 Whitney Biennial.   Photograph: By Alexandre Ayer   Photograph: By Alexandre Ayer   Photograph: By Alexandre Ayer Her newest sculpture, Shaved Portions, is meant to evoke a sense of beauty, rhythm and common humanity that pulses through the city itself. It’s the latest installation from the year-round public art program Garment District Art on the Plazas, which seeks to make the Garment District more pleasant and liveable through several initiatives that include installing public art.  We’ve seen our share of great public art displays in recent months, from a colorful exhibit inspired by Korean basketry to a sculpture of an A-train