Rachel Askinasi is the Things To Do Editor in New York. Born and raised just outside the city in Westchester—which, no, is NOT upstate—Rachel has spent a lifetime exploring all that the five boroughs have to offer.

Before joining Time Out, Rachel held roles at NBC, Business Insider, Harper's Bazaar and more. In 2024, she launched boutique media brand Throwing Spaghetti Media, focused on telling food-world stories to anyone who will listen/read/watch.

When she's not scoping out the best ways for Time Out New York readers to spend their downtime, you can find her tucked away in an independent bookstore buying a book she may or may not actually read, shooting film photography, watching or playing some kind of sport, or visiting every mom and pop ice cream parlor across the five boroughs.

Send her your pitches at rachel.askinasi@timeout.com, and keep up with all the Things she's Doing on socials.

Rachel Askinasi

Things to Do Editor, New York

Follow Rachel Askinasi:

SOCIAL.instagram

Articles (1)

The best things to do in NYC this weekend

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: including NYC Summer Streets, the first Jamaica Rising Day Parade, a New York Liberty watch party, a new Spider-Man flick and much more, plus free events around town. All you have to do is scroll down to plan your weekend! And start off a great month with our round-up of the best things to do in August. 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.

Listings and reviews (1)

Elsewhere

A small group show titled "Elsewhere" is on view at the VillageOneArt gallery in Chelsea, and it looks as brain-tickling as it sounds. Artists Hannah Levin, Gwynna Dille, Hanna Jennings, Natsumi Goldfish and Chandra Fang display their work, which comes together as a collective, introspective observation of the world around us. The artists have taken on moments of peace, play and the mundane, and their use of color and shape has me wanting to sit with some of these works for hours. There's whimsy and structure bouncing off one another in many of the pieces—the perfect juxtaposition that draws you right in. My own love for bright colors and abstract realism has me particularly excited about Dille's paintings—especially Only Twenty Five, Lots of Time to Decide, Bite the Hand and Head over Heels (A Long Way Down). But the variety in Jennings's work and the manipulation of light in Levin's Make Room Series are sure to command your attention as well. For those who love a still life or imaginative scenework, check out Fang and Goldfish, respectively. Vivienne Yang founded the women-led contemporary art gallery in 2018 to feature work by a wide array of artists who are based both locally and internationally. VillageOneArt is free to the public and open Wednesday to Saturday.

Choose a Time Out City

Choose a Time Out Market