Rachel Askinasi

What is the Financial District? This neighborhood has gone through many changes—after all, it was the very first one developed in Manhattan. Way back when Dutch settlers first called it New Amsterdam in the 1620s, they had no idea what it would become 400 years later. It eventually evolved as the financial center of the city—going from mainly trading ports to trading stocks—and subsequently became a residential hotspot for those who worked in the area, with outsiders turning up their noses to the neighborhood because of its fast-casual food options and tourist destinations. Now, amid this combination of towering skyscrapers and cobblestone streets, another new era has emerged: one where the fashion industry, big-name chefs and media companies have taken over. Read more about FiDi and why it landed a spot on Time Out's list of coolest neighborhoods around the world for 2026 here. Photograph: Mariusz Lopusiewicz / ShutterstockFraunces Tavern is a museum and restaurant in New York City, situated at 54 Pearl Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. If you only do one thing Wander the streets. Yes, my recommendation for one thing to do in FiDi isn’t to eat or see the Charging Bull, it’s to get yourself a coffee or tea and simply get lost among the skyscrapers and older buildings. You can check your map when it’s time to go. Chill out Take a moment for yourself at Elevated Acre. Bring a snack, a drink or even just a book and relax above the chaos. It’s especially beau

Over the past half-decade or so, much has changed in the way we live, work and play in our cities. It wasn’t too long ago that lockdowns rendered the city centre all but obsolete and brought to the fore the vital role of our immediate neighbourhoods and communities.  Now, the balance has been restored. Our local neighbourhood remains fundamental: mini-villages where the barista knows your order, where local restaurants, bars and indie businesses thrive, and where communities continue to band together for all sorts of cool stuff, from art walks and day festivals to creating greener streets and pedestrian-friendly spaces. And six years on from the pandemic, the city centre is seeing a renaissance, with brand-new music venues, galleries, coffee shops and more opening up and welcoming a new generation of hybrid workers and the back-to-the-office crowd (and, of course, city-breakers and tourists).  On this year’s list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, you’ll see this mix play out. There are downtown hubs and seaside strips, homely enclaves and warehouse districts, all nominated by our global network of on-the-ground experts. This lucky lot spends their time exploring every corner of their hometowns to discover the best places to eat, drink, shop and hang out right now, so you can trust we know what we’re talking about. To decide the final ranking, a panel of Time Out editors vetted each neighbourhood against a range of criteria, including food and drink, nightlife, unique loc

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 an arts festival in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn Public Library exhibit for kids, Oktoberfest celebrations and more, plus awesome free events all over the city. 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. 

Contrary to its moniker, Oktoberfest—the annual autumnal celebration anchored in Munich, Germany, with satellite festivities all over the globe—kicks off in September. Lucky for you, New York City hosts some of the best boozy, musical sausage fests in the world. This year’s events include weeks-long waterside parties, brewery bashes and even lobster-fueled feasts—all with plenty of German (and local!) beer to start your fall eating and drinking plans off right. Here's where to keep the party going all season long. Próst!

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 the final rounds of the US Open Tennis Championships, different ways to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a live showing of a Survivor podcast 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. 

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and you may be looking for events around NYC to memorialize this solemn day. Over the past two decades, NYC has remembered those we lost in the attacks through music, somber ceremonies, art installations and incredible symbols like the Tower Lights. In 2026, events include vigils, memorials, tribute runs and more. Here are some ways to mark the significant date.

Labor Day Weekend in NYC is the last hurrah of summer. It’s our last chance to truly enjoy all the good things summer has brought us—rooftop bars, beaches, pristine pools, beautiful parks and more. To help you take advantage of the best of the city, we have a list of the best things to do on Labor Day right here. Go wild at a summer music festival, celebrate Caribbean culture at the annual West Indian American Day Carnival and cheer hard at the U.S. Open. Whether you’re an indoor type or looking for things to do outside, we have the perfect itinerary for Labor Day weekend. RECOMMENDED: The best Labor Day weekend getaways from NYCRECOMMENDED: Full guide to Labor Day in NYC

Get ready to use our NYC events in August calendar as your guide for ending the summer with a bang. This month is the last to take advantage of New York beaches and pools before they close for swimming in September. There are many more things to do outside this month, like enjoying incredible rooftops, going to the botanical garden and dining at night markets. Plus, there's lots of fun to be had at the US Open Tennis Championships. This is the last full month of summer—make it count! RECOMMENDED: Full NYC events calendar

Free and cheap tickets to New York City's best museums? They exist! One of the benefits of living in or visiting NYC is the plethora of incredible cultural institutions at your fingertips. The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, MoMA and the Guggenheim are among the finest in the world. The only downside: pricey admissions fees. Unlike cities such as London or Washington, D.C., New York isn’t big on publicly funded museums, which is too bad—especially if you actually live here and have to spend most of your wages on food and rent. Granted, there are senior and student discounts, and memberships that let you get in gratis if you’re willing to pay the annual fee up front. There is a workaround. Most museums offer some free hours throughout the week or month, and some have pay-what-you-wish admission—you just have to know where and when they are. In our guide to all the free museum days and cheap admission hacks in NYC, we’ve got the info you need—whether you live here or are planning a visit. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best museums in NYC

Adam Pomerantz, the cofounder of Murray’s Bagels, brought his traditional hand-rolled method to FiDi back in 2007. Ever since, Leo's—named for his uncle—has solidified itself as a go-to for residents and local corporate caterings. The team makes their bagels the old-fashioned way: kettle boiled and baked in small batches. And they're baking them off throughout the day, so you're bound to catch at least one fresh variety whenever you walk in. The bagels themselves are shiny outside with a perfectly sturdy crust, and then when you rip it open and the steam comes pouring out, you get hit with the fresh-baked bagel scent that few (if any) outside the tri-state area are able to replicate. That soft, pillowy, dense interior is just a little bit sweet and the right amount of chewy—and the evidence of hand rolling is right there in the way its interior refuses to evenly break apart. Anything you could possibly want on a bagel, you can find at Leo's. Choose your schmear and/or a salad (tuna, egg, chicken). Go for a chicken cutlet or cold cut sandwich. Maybe you want an omelette (get the L.E.O. with lox, eggs and onions), a baconeggandcheese, smoked fish or a B.L.T. You can't go wrong. There have been times when I couldn't decide and ended up going halfsies with myself by getting two different sandwiches (one time, I walked out with three). Leo's recently expanded its interior space to stretch to the corner of its building, leaving room for indoor window seating and more baked goods on

Joining a book club sounds fun in theory, but what happens when you're not feeling the group read? Well, Lit Club NYC has put together a fix: communal, BYOB (that second B is for book) reading. You'll get cozy on the grass at the Upper West Side's 87th Street Garden and settle in for some quality you time. Then, all participants break up into small groups where you'll talk about what you're reading and swap recommendations. Tickets cost $15, and light refreshments will be provided—though, they haven't announced what those will be.  

Grab your sneakers and join Seconds Run Club for four miles of bliss. Come with friends or solo, and meet fellow runners for a group exercise that will take you down—and then back up—Park Avenue, which will be completely shut down as part of NYC's Summer Streets. The organizers, who specialize in bringing friends new and old together for a run, promise fun surprises and free treats while supplies last from Thayer's, Hint Water, Fruit Riot, VIO2 Mouth tape and Mezcla protein bars before the run. But if you plan on bringing any of those freebies home with you, you'll need to remember one of your larger running bags as they'll only be given out before you set off along the route.The August 15 activity is what Seconds calls an 'out and back' run. It will start at Central Park Grand Army Plaza (59th St. and 5th Ave.), take runners down to 14th Street and then back up near 50th Street and Park Avenue. The target pace is set at 11 minutes and 30 seconds (per mile), and they've baked in stops along the way for water fountains and street activations. Seconds noted that all runners are welcome to participate, regardless of your typical pace.Get to the starting point at 8:30am so the group can hit the pavement at 8:45am. The run is slated to end by around 9:45am. Tickets are free, just RSVP through events app Clyx.

Calling all fans of Glen Powell, fictional football or both. In celebration of Hulu's Chad Powers Season 2, The Paley Museum is hosting a special preview and live chat with the stars who make the show. After getting a first look at the season, guests will hear directly from Powell and costars Steve Zahn and Frankie A. Rodriguez, as well as executive producer Eli Manning and showrunner Michael Waldron. You'll learn all about what went on behind the scenes and hear stories from the set. The event will take place on September 3, but tickets go on sale to Paley Center members ($60) August 10, and to the general public ($75) on August 11.

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.

You knew her, you loathed her, you wrote her off. Yep, she’s the Financial District, and she’s back to make you all eat your words. Time Out has revealed its 2026 ranking of the coolest neighborhoods in cities around the world, and FiDi is representing New York at No. 28. Our editors all over the world came together for this master list, leaving the picking to on-the-ground experts. So, why FiDi? What was once merely the center of the business world—and a hotspot for finance bros of all ages—has gone through something of a renaissance. In the mid-1990s, some of the commercial buildings in the neighborhood began their transition into residential. Then, after the 2001 September 11 attacks hit the area, that shift sped up dramatically. Little by little, the neighborhood started morphing into the cultural hub it is right now. More recently, the shift has exuded a cooler air. No, I’m not talking about the breeze from both the Hudson and East rivers, I’m talking about the influx of fashion folks, artists and big-name chefs. Plus, its cameo appearances on Bravo’s Summer House haven’t hurt. On the flip side, the area is authentically tied to the city’s past in a way few others can boast. It’s jam packed with historic hotspots (Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, World Trade Center) and holds the key to old New Amsterdam in its lower half (it was the first part of Manhattan to be developed around 400 years ago, and the architecture—and some bars—remains to tell that st

It’s that time of year again. Thousands of people—tennis fans, clout chasers and everything in between—descend onto a tiny speck of Queens for three weeks of sporting hoopla dubbed The U.S. Open Tennis Championships. You’ll undoubtedly see folks all over your social media feeds who have shelled out hundreds of dollars for a ticket, dressed up to take pictures around the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, hung out in exclusive suites, eaten bloatedly priced food and bought this year’s signature cap. And if you scroll long enough, you might also see some people who—get this—actually really love tennis and the athletes competing on the courts. Before the main draw of the US Open Tennis Championships, there’s a week-long stretch of festivities that allows you to experience so much of what’s amazing about the tournament. It’s called Fan Week—and it’s free! Here’s what you can do at the storied grounds from August 23 to 29 without emptying your wallet—plus a few high-priced extras, if you want to splurge. US Open Fan Week: Free Events and Experiences Sponsored booths From Cadillac to Emirates and Dobel tequila to Lavazza coffee, the US Open draws major sponsors. And rather than just showcasing their logos on a poster, each company has different kinds of activations set up around the grounds for fans to experience. Don’t miss the free samples of La Roche-Posay sunscreen, first pick at the Polo Ralph Lauren stores and much more. Plus get an up-close look at the Tiffany & Co. trophi

Hardcore TV fans can get an up-close-and-personal look at the entertainment industry’s best shows, actors and storymakers at the annual event that honors them all: PaleyFest New York. From early screenings to panel discussions, this culmination of all things television offers seven days of events for those who want to immerse themselves in the works at The Paley Center for Media.What’s special about this year? Well, the center is announcing its inaugural PaleyFest Award, recognizing excellence in media, television and entertainment. The award was established to commemorate Paley’s 50th anniversary, and it will be presented each year as part of PaleyFest NY. In addition to receiving the award, each recipient will see a curated selection of their work become a permanent part of the Paley Archive—hall-of-fame style. The 2026 recipients include Billy Crystal, American Horror Story, Dexter: Resurrection, Tulsa King, Marshals, The Gilded Age and The Diplomat. And lucky for attendees, they’re all a part of the festival lineup.This year’s event kicks off on October 8 at the Paley Museum with an exclusive early screening of an American Horror Story: 13 episode, followed by a conversation with members of the cast and creative team. Sarah Paulson, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman and Lou Eyrich will all be in attendance, along with some more panelists who have yet to be announced.Other screenings include Dexter: Resurrection on October 9 and Tulsa King on the 10—which will