Events & Things To Do

August 11, 2020

Roosevelt Island’s colorful Manhattan Park Pool Club is back and open to the public

A playful art installation has returned to Manhattan Park, a waterfront rental on Roosevelt Island. Every summer since 2015, an artist is selected to transform the building's pool deck with a dazzling 8,500-square-foot mural. This year, as part of a partnership with Corcoran New Developments, Pliskin Architecture, K&Co, and Manhattan Park, artist Alex Proba from Studio Proba designed the sixth annual pop-up mural, with a mix of colorful shapes and forms spread out across the outdoor space.
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August 4, 2020

Radio City cancels the Rockettes this Christmas

In a not-surprising announcement, Radio City Music Hall says they will not put on their famous Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes this year, the first time since 1933. The decision comes after Broadway said it will stay dark for the rest of the year and other venues like the Met Opera, Lincoln Center, NYC Ballet, and Carnegie Hall cancelled the rest of their 2020 seasons. As NBC New York noted, the Rockettes typically rehearse for more than 200 hours leading up to the show's November debut.
More details here
August 4, 2020

You can lounge and dine at a rooftop ‘lawn’ at the South Street Seaport

Social distancing guidelines have definitely gotten restaurants to be extra creative, like The Rooftop at Pier 17 which has just opened a new dining experience where guests can book one of 28 "mini-lawns." Called The Greens, the experience has transformed the South Street Seaport rooftop venue into private cabana-style plots, each of which can accommodate eight guests.
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August 3, 2020

See the 193 new Rockefeller Center flags designed by the public

The iconic flags that surround the Rink at Rockefeller Center got a makeover over the weekend. Public art initiative "The Flag Project" opened on Saturday with 193 new flags designed by the public, as well as a number of well-known artists and designers. Led by Tishman Speyer, the installation aims to celebrate New York City as the city continues its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
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July 31, 2020

Queens County Farm Museum reopens this weekend with first-ever site-specific art installation

The Queens County Farm Museum is set to reopen its 47 acres to the public on Sunday after temporarily closing in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Along with the reopening, Queens Farm will also unveil its first-ever site-specific art installation: Cover Crop by the artist Aaron Asis. The half-acre artwork includes a "planted composition" with crisscrossing paths, letting visitors discover the farm's cover crops, including sweet peas, buckwheat, and rye.
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July 30, 2020

Powerful photos show the COVID-19 crisis through the eyes of New Yorkers

The Museum of the City of New York will reopen on Saturday with a stunning new outdoor installation. The first phase of the museum's New York Responds project includes a photo exhibit depicting life in New York City in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests that kicked off in May and continue today. On view starting August 1, the powerful photographs have been installed at the Upper East Side museum's terrace and balustrade.
See it here
July 24, 2020

Tastes of Brooklyn food festival will return on August 1 with 25 restaurants and bars

Now more than ever it's important to support our local restaurants, bars, and bakeries and a fun event happening on Saturday, August 1 makes it super easy to do just that. Tastes of Brooklyn returns for its annual food festival with 25 participating establishments in Gowanus, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, and Cobble Hill. Tickets get you a select number of small dishes at drinks at your choice of restaurants, and proceeds will benefit Seeds in the Middle, a nonprofit creating sustainable farm stands and school-run healthy programs in Brooklyn's food deserts.
See who's participating
July 23, 2020

12 tips for hiring movers and making sure things run smoothly

From big corporations to small family-run operations, movers in NYC run the gamut in terms of services, pricing, and proximity, but regardless of which route you take, there are several things to consider before deciding. Ahead, 6sqft has rounded up 12 tips for hiring movers, including performing background checks, making sure you've accurately counted your boxes (no one wants to be that person), and negotiating the estimate.
All the tips ahead
July 22, 2020

You can take a tour of the Gowanus Canal in a canoe

How's that for social distancing? Untapped New York has just announced the relaunch of its in-person tour series, and they've got some seriously cool new offerings, including a Victorian Flatbush walking tour and a tour of the Gowanus Canal that takes place via canoe. The team has implemented significant health and safety measures, from reduced capacity to a state-of-the-art radio system that allows for social distancing. In addition to these new tours, Untapped is bringing back many favorites, including "Hidden Gems of Governors Island," "Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam," and "Public Art Tour of Lower Manhattan."
More info here
July 21, 2020

Field of sunflowers exhibit takes over Four Freedoms Park to honor 100 years of women’s suffrage

A massive field of sunflowers has been installed at the monumental staircase at FDR Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. The park's new exhibit, which was created together with the New-York Historical Society and the League of Women Voters, comes ahead of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment's ratification and aims to symbolize the continued push for full equality today. The installation measures 12 feet by 100 feet and features text from the amendment, which was ratified on August 18, 1920: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
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July 20, 2020

7 best hikes near New York City

Getting out of the city during the hot summer months has never felt so necessary, with the usual ways of staying cool by exploring an air-conditioned museum or taking a dip at a city pool. For those looking to reconnect with nature (while maintaining social distance), there are a number of escapes just outside of the city offering hikes and treks ranging in levels of difficulty. Some of these are easily accessible by Metro-North; some might require a car, and some happen to be in the city itself, provided you consider Staten Island within its borders. All of them feature great views, exercise, fresh air, and the occasional tree, how novel! Ahead, discover our favorites.
See our favorites here
July 16, 2020

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen August 29

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen to the public on August 29, as part of the city's phase four of reopening. The museum closed all three of its locations in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Met's Fifth Avenue building will open its doors five days a week, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. While The Cloisters is expected to open in September, museum officials last month announced that the Met Breuer will not reopen at all, with the building instead serving as the temporary home of the Frick Collection.
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July 14, 2020

High Line Nine galleries transform into socially-distanced ‘living storefronts’

As New York City slowly reopens with some semblance of normalcy, art galleries are also returning. Earlier this month, the High Line Nine introduced a new initiative that transforms five of its galleries into "living storefronts." The High Line Nine Artist Residency, titled "Dare to Reimagine," allows visitors to walk through the corridor in Chelsea and view artists at work through glass-walled studios. And all works on display will be available for purchase through scannable QR-codes on-site.
More here
July 14, 2020

The 15 best air-purifying plants for your home

Toxins from carpet, paint, upholstery, and cleaning products are just a handful of modern-day, airborne pollutants that can degrade indoor air quality, and studies have shown too much exposure to these manmade elements can cause lung and respiratory issues over the long run. Luckily, there are a number of houseplants that moonlight as efficient purifiers. Ahead you'll find 15 of the best air-purifying plants suited for apartment living, according to Dr. B.C. Wolverton, a scientist who worked with NASA to develop a breathable environment for long-term lunar habitation.
15 plants to help keep indoor air its purest
July 10, 2020

See the ‘Black Lives Matter’ murals popping up on streets across New York City

First announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio as a celebration of Juneteenth last month, giant murals spelling out Black Lives Matter have been popping up across New York City, with the streets also officially co-named after the movement. There are eight large-scale murals total: Centre Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Manhattan, Richmond Terrace on Staten Island, 153rd Street in Queens, Joralemon and Fulton Streets in Brooklyn, Morris Avenue in the Bronx, and on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower.
See more here
July 10, 2020

NYC cancels all large events through September

All major events that require a city permit have been canceled through September 30, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. The city said it will not issue a permit for any event that would be located within a designated Open Streets or Open Restaurants area, an attempt to "prioritize open spaces for public use." This means annual street fairs and parades, like favorites the Feast of San Gennaro and the West Indian-American Day Carnival, will not take place this year.
More here
July 9, 2020

Manhattanhenge returns to New York City’s grid this weekend

Despite all of the life changes New Yorkers are currently grappling with, some things remain the same. The annual magic of Manhattanhenge has officially returned, bringing a much-needed moment of zen to the city. Twice a year the sunset aligns perfectly with Manhattan's street grid, providing a picture-perfect glow radiating between two skyscrapers. As first reported by Gothamist, the phenomenon took place on May 30, with the second event happening on July 12.
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July 2, 2020

Across NYC, 50 new public artworks respond to COVID and systemic racism crises

When coronavirus began to bear down on the city, the Public Art Fund conceived a way to bring an artful approach to the crisis. They teamed up with 50 New York-based, emerging artists for a multi-platform exhibition Art on the Grid. As the exhibit developed, though, "the parallel epidemic of systemic racism came into sharp and painful focus," they tell us, which led to both crises setting the backdrop for this powerful public art series. Now on display on 500 bus shelters and more than 1,700 LinkNYC kiosks across the five boroughs, the exhibit showcases themes such as healing and loss; community and isolation; intimacy and solitude; and inclusivity and excitability.
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June 30, 2020

New York libraries team up with local museums for a virtual ‘Culture Pass’

Two summers ago, Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and Queens Public Library launched Culture Pass, a program that provided free access to more than 30 museums and cultural institutions for library card holders. With all of these locations closed or operating at limited capacity during the pandemic, the three libraries have teamed up to take Culture Pass digital this summer, launching a new series of more than 70 original online programs, which will be free for children and adults through August 20.
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June 23, 2020

Macy’s July 4th fireworks will last for three days across NYC

After Macy's announced yesterday that their annual July 4th Fireworks display in NYC would go on despite the pandemic, headlined by John Legend, Mayor de Blasio said in his press conference today that the show will take on a new life this year. There will be five-minute "brief but mighty" bursts of fireworks throughout the five boroughs from June 29th through July 1st, culminating in a finale on Saturday, July 4th, which will be televised from the top of the Empire State Building. On their website, Macy's says they "expect to announce details of the reimagined event soon."
Get the scoop
June 22, 2020

Theodore Roosevelt statue will be removed from NYC’s Museum of Natural History

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt that depicts the former president on horseback flanked by a Native American man and an African man will be removed from the steps of the American Museum of Natural History, officials announced on Sunday. The decision to take down the statue, which local activists have requested for years, comes as a renewed discourse about racism and racist symbols continues to grow across the country following the death of George Floyd last month.
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June 19, 2020

11 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC

Juneteenth has been observed by African Americans nationwide for more than 150 years as a celebration of the day enslaved Black people were liberated in the United States. This year, as Black Lives Matter demonstrations continue across New York City, the holiday takes on special significance as a day of action, reflection, and education. New York officials are recognizing the weight of the anniversary by making Juneteenth an official state holiday and a city holiday, set to be observed by public schools next year. Although the festivals and cookouts of the past are on hold this year in light of the coronavirus, there are many virtual and socially distanced events happening across the city, from a digital day of dance to a cyclist-led Freedom Ride.
See the list
June 16, 2020

This year’s U.S. Open will happen in Queens without fans

This year's 52nd annual U.S. Open will be held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens from August 31st to September 13th without fans, Governor Cuomo announced in his press conference today. The U.S. Tennis Association will "take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff," which will include robust testing, increased cleaning, extra space in locker rooms, and dedicated housing and transportation. Last year's event set an all-time attendance record of 737,872, bringing in $400 million in revenue, 80 percent of the USTA’s annual total.
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June 16, 2020

Nathan’s Famous will hold 2020 hot dog eating contest without fans

While most of New York City's annual summer activities and celebrations have been canceled or postponed this year because of the coronavirus, one event will still take place. Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest will forge ahead in Coney Island on July 4, but with no fans, fewer eaters, and social distancing measures in place.
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