Laura Ratliff

Talking Heads frontman, Broadway innovator and all-around creative polymath David Byrne is once again blurring the line between art and science, this time in the middle of downtown Chicago. “Theater of the Mind” is Byrne’s latest experiment in perception, identity and theatrical immersion—and it’s happening inside a real office space. Created with writer and philanthropist Mala Gaonkar, the 15,000-square-foot experience invites audiences of just 16 at a time to explore a series of rooms designed to mess with your senses and make you question, well, yourself.

Before the final battle for Hawkins begins, Chicago fans can pedal into nostalgia. On November 23, Netflix is inviting viewers to hop on their bikes for The Last Bike Ride, a self-guided route along the Lakefront Trail celebrating the premiere of Stranger Things 5. The 18.5-mile lakeside path, stretching from Edgewater to South Shore, will double as a scenic stand-in for the gang’s Hawkins adventures, minus the Demogorgons. The Chicago ride is part of a global fan farewell that spans six continents, from Los Angeles to Lucca, with events ranging from immersive pop-ups to live screenings. Each city’s version of The Last Bike Ride is designed to be casual and flexible: you can join any time that day, ride at your own pace and, if luck’s on your side, win a limited-edition Stranger Things bike just by registering. The series’ obsession with two wheels makes the event a fitting send-off: as any fan knows, if your bike’s not in motion, something’s probably lurking in the woods. While Chicago’s ride won’t feature official checkpoints or Hawkins-style signage, there’s plenty of atmospheric terrain to lean into the show’s vibe. Cruise past the dusky horizon near Buckingham Fountain, take a breather by the Adler Planetarium and imagine the eerie glow of the Upside Down reflecting off Lake Michigan. For full immersion, cue up the show’s synth soundtrack and plan your loop around sunset, the perfect time for a little supernatural energy. It’s been nine years since Stranger Things first

If you’ve been humming “Golden” under your breath since June, you’re in luck. KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s animated juggernaut about a K-pop girl group who double as demon slayers, is returning to the big screen for a Halloween-weekend sing-along. From October 31 through November 2, fans can belt their favorite songs at screenings across New York City, from Alamo Drafthouse in Lower Manhattan to AMC Empire 25 in Times Square. The limited run is more than fan service: it marks another unexpected theatrical detour for Netflix. When the sing-along version premiered in August, it stunned box-office watchers by opening at number one and grossing roughly $18 million in just two days. That success helped make KPop Demon Hunters to become Netflix’s most-watched film ever, with its soundtrack continuing to dominate the Billboard Hot 100. Now, the movie’s encore arrives with an even wider reach. AMC Theatres, which sat out the first release, is screening the film in roughly 400 locations across the U.S. and Europe, an unlikely alignment between the largest cinema chain and a streamer that once made exhibitors very nervous. For moviegoers, it simply means more seats and more screens to scream-sing into Halloween weekend. The film itself remains as gleefully chaotic as ever. Rumi, Mira and Zoey might be international pop idols, but between choreography rehearsals, they moonlight as demon hunters protecting fans from supernatural threats. Their latest mission pits them against a rival b

This Thanksgiving, the Upside Down is headed uptown. Stranger Things will join the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a brand-new float that brings Hawkins, Indiana—tentacles, supernatural storm clouds and one very cranky demogorgon—to midtown Manhattan. Titled “Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things,” the float injects a dose of eerie dimension-hopping drama into the lineup of Broadway casts, giant balloons and high-kicking marching bands. Netflix says the installation will “thrill audiences on the streets of New York and across America as a demogorgon creates chaos along the parade route.” Consider it a festive reminder that sometimes you need more than stuffing and a stretchy waistband. You might also need telekinesis. The float arrives just ahead of the show’s final chapter. Season five drops in three bursts: four episodes on November 26, three on Christmas Day and a finale on New Year’s Eve. Nearly a decade after its debut, the series is closing out the era of banana-seat bikes, Eggo hoarding, synth-wave dread and teens saving the world while grounded. And because Hawkins kids never adventure alone, fans are invited to assemble, too. Netflix is rolling out global Stranger Things celebrations, including a self-guided bike ride in select U.S. cities that encourages riders to don their ’80s best and pedal like they're trying to outrun a Demogorgon (or gym class mile flashbacks). For those who prefer to fight evil from the couch, Surfer Boy Pizza will fuel watch parties duri

Brooklyn has never been shy about sharing culture. Zines? Sure. Community fridges? Of course. Now, the borough’s biggest civic braintrust is upping the ante: the Brooklyn Public Library will let cardholders borrow real works of art for three weeks and hang them at home like you live in your own personal museum. Yes, really. The art-lending program launches alongside “Department of Transformation: Letters for the Future,” a sprawling, brain-sparky exhibition opening November 3 in the Central Library’s Grand Lobby and second floor and running through January 25, 2026. Curated by the artist-organized collective Department of Transformation with BPL Presents, the show includes more than 40 artists and collectives working across painting, sculpture, performance, video, books and zines. Think of it as a library-meets-gallery-meets-workshop-meets-karaoke fever dream, designed to get New Yorkers thinking, reading and imagining together. The project isn’t shy about its mission. According to organizers, “Letters for the Future celebrates the library as one of the few remaining intellectual, creative and civic commons still freely available.” And the borrowable artworks? That’s where things get delightfully radical. In its own words, the program offers “a simple, but radical, proposal: that art should be available to all, to live with and learn from every day.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Department of Transformation (D🌎T) (@dept_of_transformation)

Chinatown just got a new leading lady and she’s dramatic in the best way. Opera House, the sultry subterranean bar from the team behind Chinese Tuxedo, has taken over the former Peachy’s space at 5 Doyers Street, channeling the address’s past life as New York’s first Chinese theater. The new destination is serving something even more intoxicating than history: a drinks menu that reads like an operatic program, with 12 cocktails inspired by iconic Chinese operas and classical literature. Step inside and it’s clear this isn’t your average speakeasy with a theme. The 80-seat space glows in amber light, anchored by a bar aptly dubbed The Stage and backed by a hand-painted opera mural. Plush booths, moon-shaped sliding doors, gold accents and exposed beams complete the “hidden jewel box under Doyers” vibe. It’s dramatic without being theatrical-for-Instagram and that’s kind of the point. Photograph: Courtesy of Chinese Opera Beverage director Beau Bradley pulls from Chinese herbs, teas and pantry ingredients in playful (and occasionally wild) ways. Think salted-egg-and-chestnut syrup in a flip, sesame and black bean in spritzes and Sichuan peppercorn in a martini that hums like opening-night nerves. The White Snake Legend leans botanical and savory, landing with a “gently numbing, peppery sensation from the Sichuan peppercorn,” while Dream of the Red Chamber goes spirit-forward with five-spice duck fat-washed bourbon and pu-erh-tea Campari. Tale of the Moon even arrives crowned

Talking Heads frontman, Broadway innovator and all-around creative polymath David Byrne is once again blurring the line between art and science, this time in the middle of downtown Chicago. Opening in March 2026 inside the historic Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street, Theater of the Mind is Byrne’s latest experiment in perception, identity and theatrical immersion—and yes, it’s happening inside a real office space. Created with writer and philanthropist Mala Gaonkar, the 15,000-square-foot experience invites audiences of just 16 at a time to explore a series of rooms designed to mess with your senses and make you question, well, yourself. “You experience the unreliability of your senses, and therefore your own memories and identity,” Byrne told WBEZ. “By the end of the show, you realize that’s what allows us to change and evolve.” Each 75-minute journey will be led by a guide named (what else?) David. None of them will look like Byrne, though they’ll all be dressed like he was at age two. (Yes, really.) “I’m not in the show,” Byrne clarified. “But the guides are all called David. None of them look anything like me, but they are dressed the way I was dressed when I was 2 years old.” The experience, directed by Elmhurst native Andrew Scoville, first debuted in Denver in 2022 and comes to Chicago as part of the Goodman Theatre’s centennial season. Susan V. Booth, the Goodman’s artistic director, said the decision to stage Byrne’s surreal production in an unconventi

A shiny new set of maps from the Department of City Planning makes it easier than ever to see which neighborhoods are actually pulling their weight in solving New York’s housing crunch and which ones are barely building at all. According to the city’s updated Housing Production Snapshot 2024, a record-breaking 33,974 homes were completed last year, the most in nearly 60 years. But the new interactive tools released by DCP show that boom time still looks pretty uneven depending on where you zoom in. Only 10 of the city’s 59 community districts accounted for as much new housing as the other 49 combined. In 2023, Bronx districts 1, 4, 5 and 7 and Brooklyn districts 1, 2, 5 and 8 led the way, along with Queens 1 and 2. By 2024, Brooklyn reclaimed the top spot, responsible for about 40 percent of all new homes—13,732 units—while the Bronx added 6,526 and Queens 8,061. Manhattan, once the city’s construction engine, lagged behind again with 4,841 new units, and Staten Island barely registered at 814. “New York City is producing far less housing than needed and the housing that is being built is concentrated in just a few neighborhoods,” said city planning director Dan Garodnick. “This imbalance is at the root of much of our housing crisis.” Clicking through the map reveals hyper-local stories of construction highs and lows. Long Island City-Hunters Point topped all Neighborhood Tabulation Areas with 1,859 completed units, more than 1,300 of them part of two Hunter’s Point South tow

Los Angeles just got a new dining destination that’s as global as it is local. Chef Rose Previte, the D.C. powerhouse behind the Michelin-starred Maydan and the globe-trotting Compass Rose, has opened Maydan Market, a 10,000-square-foot culinary playground in the heart of West Adams. Part food hall, part community hub, the soaring, vaulted space brings together some of the city’s most exciting chefs around a live-fire hearth. It’s a fitting centerpiece for a project built on shared flame and culture—“like some villages share a well,” as Previte puts it in an official statement. Anchoring the market is Maydan, the first L.A. outpost of Previte’s celebrated Middle Eastern restaurant, where guests can tear into house-baked bread straight from the clay oven and pass platters of charred vegetables, grilled meats and colorful spreads cooked over an open flame. Nearby, Compass Rose brings an all-day menu of international street foods and natural wines curated by Previte’s Go There Wines label. Photograph: Ashley Randall But the real joy of Maydan Market is its lineup of L.A.-rooted culinary voices. There’s Yhing Yhang BBQ from Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat of Holy Basil, spotlighting charcoal-grilled Thai gai yhang and punchy fermented condiments. Lugya’h by Poncho’s Tlayudas marks the first brick-and-mortar home for Zapotec chef Alfonso “Poncho” Martínez, who celebrates Indigenous Oaxacan foodways with tlayudas and weekend tamales. The family behind Tamales Elena debu

Pokémon fans, this is your cue to shuffle your decks and mark your calendars. The Poké Court, the cult-favorite NYC card shop known for its viral red envelopes and cramped-but-charming second-story hideaway, is leveling up. On November 1, the store will debut a brand-new, 2,000-square-foot flagship in the Meatpacking District, less than five minutes from Chelsea Market and not far from their current tiny location. The glow-up is well-earned: what began as a living-room side hustle in late 2023 quickly grew into one of the city’s most popular destinations for collectors. A short-lived SoHo pop-up with Shopify last year drew over 4,000 visitors in three days. Now, The Poké Court is expanding into a permanent home designed as a haven for fans—and, this time, you won’t be elbow-to-elbow while ripping your packs. The new space, designed by GAMPworks, will feature dedicated zones like a Pack Bar, where a “Packtender” will help you pick and open new products, and a Ripping Corner, complete with penny sleeves so your prized pulls stay pristine. Expect walls of single cards, graded slabs and merch—including new Poké Court totes and hats—as well as a VIP Lounge for collectors and creators (yes, you'll even get to host your own ripping party here). Photograph: Courtesy of GAMPworks The grand opening weekend, November 1–2, will be a full-on Poké-palooza in collaboration with sponsor Collectr. Activations will include vintage box breaks (like an original 1999 Base Set) streamed live on

This Thanksgiving, a pair of furry little monsters are stealing the spotlight from Santa—at least for a few blocks. Pop Mart, the global toy and art brand behind the wildly popular collectible characters Labubu and Mokoko, is making its debut at the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a brand-new float called “Friendsgiving in Pop City.” Standing 16 feet tall, the mischievous Labubu and its pink-haired pal Mokoko will appear as fuzzy inflatable sculptures—the first of their kind ever created for a Macy’s float—leading a cast of Pop Mart favorites including Skullpanda, Molly, Dimoo, Peach Riot and Duckoo. Together, they’ll join the parade’s usual mix of larger-than-life balloons, marching bands and celebrities as millions tune in to watch from home on November 27. “Our goal at Pop Mart is to light up passion and bring joy, and Macy’s Parade has been doing that for nearly a century,” said Larry Lu, president of Pop Mart, the Americas, in an official statement. “Bringing our characters to life at such a storied event represents a significant milestone for us as we kick off our 15th anniversary.” Pop Mart’s appearance marks another pop culture milestone: the 10-year anniversary of Labubu and The Monsters, whose cheeky, chaotic aesthetic has fueled a global designer-toy craze. The float’s theme ties neatly into both the holiday’s spirit and Pop Mart’s international fandom. “For more than a century, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been home to the world’s most recogniza

The journey through JFK’s new Terminal One will be more gallery walk than security slog. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New Terminal One just unveiled an ambitious public art and cultural program that turns the $9.5 billion international terminal, set to open in phases beginning 2026, into a full-on love letter to New York. Seven internationally recognized artists have been tapped to create monumental, site-specific installations that reflect the city’s history, diversity and energy. Think giant batik kites by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA floating above travelers, a massive bronze hand sprouting native flowers by Kelly Akashi and a whimsical lineup of watches and payphones from Woody De Othello perched atop baggage carousels, a cheeky nod to “the city that never sleeps.” Other featured artists include Tomás Saraceno, Ilana Savdie, Julie Curtiss and Firelei Báez, whose works will bring color, symbolism and plenty of New York attitude to the 2.6-million-square-foot terminal. “Public art that is inspiring and evocative of our region is an essential part of the Port Authority’s strategy to create world-class airports that are becoming destinations in their own right,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton in an official statement. Photograph: Courtesy of Tomorrow Inc The art is part of a wider creative vision led by Arup with Culture Corps, Pentagram, Gentilhomme and others. Together, they’ve fused sculpture, film, branding and immersive digital media

Los Angeles International Airport is about to lose one of its busiest terminals—temporarily, at least. Starting this week, Terminal 5 will close for complete demolition as part of the airport’s massive $30 billion modernization plan ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. If you’re flying through LAX during that time, brace for a game of terminal musical chairs. JetBlue has already shifted to Terminal 1, Spirit Airlines has moved to Terminal 2 and American Airlines will finish its migration to Terminal 4 by today, Tuesday, October 28. Flights that would normally depart from Terminal 5 will instead be routed through other terminals and the brand-new Midfield Satellite Concourse South (MSC South), a sleek, 150,000-square-foot extension of the Tom Bradley International Terminal boasting eight new gates. Doug Webster, chief airport operations and maintenance officer for Los Angeles World Airports, called the closure “a pivotal moment” in the airport’s evolution. “Our goal is to minimize disruption during this transition, and we are working closely with our airline partners to ensure continued operations and smooth travel for our passengers,” he said in an official statement. The new Terminal 5 is expected to reopen just before the 2028 Olympics, promising a next-generation passenger experience with more space, better wayfinding and the same offsite construction and relocation technique used for MSC South—meaning the new structure will largely be built elsewhere and assem