Events &amp; Things To Do

With the weather finally warming up, it's time to start planning spring and summertime activities. The Trust for Governors Island on Monday unveiled its lineup of free programming for the island's 2020 season, which officially kicks off on May 1. Throughout the season, more than 30 organizations will bring installations, exhibitions, workshops, and more to the 172-acre site, with most programs focusing on visual art, climate change and environmental science, and culture.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Bach in the Subways’ will spread the German composer’s music throughout the city this month

Cellist Dale Henderson, photo by Phillip Guye, courtesy of Bach in the Subways

March 10, 2020

‘Bach in the Subways’ will spread the German composer’s music throughout the city this month

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

Classical music lovers, mark your calendars: Johann Sebastian Bach's 335th birthday on March 21 will be honored with a whole week of spontaneous, free performances of his music throughout the city. From March 19th to 25th, Bach in the Subways will bring hundreds of performers to the city to share the German composer's work. The name suggests you'll have to ride underground for a chance to see them play, but you can expect performers to spring up in public spaces above ground as well.
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Events & Things To Do

Pubs, parades, and politicians: The Irish legacy of the East Village and Greenwich Village

Photo of White Horse Tavern (bottom left) courtesy of Wikimedia; Photo of the Merchant’s House Museum (bottom right) courtesy of Village Preservation on Flickr

March 10, 2020

Pubs, parades, and politicians: The Irish legacy of the East Village and Greenwich Village

For many, celebrating Irish American heritage in March brings one to Fifth Avenue for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, or perhaps a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But for those willing to venture beyond Midtown, there’s a rich Irish American history to be found in Greenwich Village and the East Village. While both neighborhoods became better known for different kinds of communities in later years – Italians, Ukrainians, gay men and lesbians, artists, punks – Irish immigration in the mid-19th century profoundly shaped both neighborhoods. Irish Americans and Irish immigrants played a critical role in building immigrant and artistic traditions in Greenwich Village and the East Village. Here are some sites connected to that great heritage, from the city's oldest intact Catholic Church to Irish institutions like McSorely's Old Ale House.
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To offset Coronavirus-related dips in attendance, tickets for six Broadway hits will be only $50

Photo credit: Mihai Bojin via Flickr

March 10, 2020

To offset Coronavirus-related dips in attendance, tickets for six Broadway hits will be only $50

As Coronavirus fears begin impacting Broadway attendance, producer Scott Rudin is slashing ticket prices to keep theatres full, Deadline reports. Starting this Thursday at noon, all remaining March tickets for Rudin's popular productions—To Kill a Mockingbird, West Side Story, The Lehman Trilogy, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and The Book of Mormon—will be available for only $50.
This could be the deal you've been waiting for

Events & Things To Do

This incredibly detailed 3D replica of Manhattan took 1,000 hours to complete

Photos courtesy of Empire State Realty Trust

March 6, 2020

This incredibly detailed 3D replica of Manhattan took 1,000 hours to complete

French artist Johann Perathoner has created a panoramic 3D replica of Manhattan that is currently on view in the Empire State Building’s lobby. Though compact in scale, the composition is ambitious in scope and captures an incredible amount of detail in its small size. Made up of vibrant colors and 100 different textures that include rhinestones and fake diamonds, the piece took Perathoner more than 1,000 hours to complete.
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Events & Things To Do

Four permanent artworks will transform LaGuardia Airport

Rendering of Terminal B courtesy of the Governor’s Office

March 6, 2020

Four permanent artworks will transform LaGuardia Airport

The ongoing $8 billion transformation of LaGuardia Airport has focused on bringing the airport's functionality into the 21st century, but a series of major art commissions will also enhance how travelers experience the overhauled spaces. On Thursday Governor Cuomo announced a partnership with the nonprofit Public Art Fund that will bring site-specific works by four renowned artists —Jeppe Hein, Sabine Hornig, Laura Owens, and Sarah Sze—to the new Arrivals and Departures Hall opening later this year at Terminal B.
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The American Museum of Natural History’s most vibrant new exhibit is an in-depth exploration of color

Photo credit: R. Mickens/© AMNH

March 5, 2020

The American Museum of Natural History’s most vibrant new exhibit is an in-depth exploration of color

For most of us, color is such a seamless part of how we experience the world that we don’t think to stop and question it. But color is more than just a visual phenomenon, it carries symbolic and cultural meanings, has the ability to impact our mood, and in the natural world, it plays a critical role in the survival of many species. The many dimensions of color will be explored in The Nature of Color, a new exhibition opening at the American Museum of Natural History on March 9th.
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Events & Things To Do

Sales launch for Waldorf Astoria’s luxury condos, starting at $1.7M studios

Residential condo sales have launched at the newly-imagined Waldorf Astoria, which has been closed for renovations since 2017. The launch, complete with a new website offering a sneak peek inside the iconic building, comes at a time when ultra-luxe apartments have become a tougher sell in a market loaded with competition and unsold units, as The Real Deal reports. The residential portion of the building sits above the renovated hotel, with 375 condos and 50,000 square feet of amenities including private bars, a 25-meter pool and a fitness center.
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March 4, 2020

15 ways to celebrate Women’s History Month in NYC

What better place to celebrate women than in New York? The state hosted the country's first women's rights convention in 1848, Union Square held the first large-scale suffrage parade in 1908, and New Yorkers came up with the idea to honor women for one month every year. This Women's History Month, which marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, honor the trailblazing New Yorkers who forged the paths for feminists today with lectures, art exhibits, and bites from women-owned vendors. Ahead, find our favorite events, from a Wikipedia edit-a-thon at the Museum of Modern Art to a trolley tour of Woodlawn Cemetery.
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Events & Things To Do

Cultural diversity and nature informed this Brooklyn photo series by two longtime residents

Alex Webb, Park Slope, 2018. Chromogenic development print. Courtesy of the artist

March 3, 2020

Cultural diversity and nature informed this Brooklyn photo series by two longtime residents

Photographer couple Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb have lived in Park Slope for some 20 years and for just as long, they've been documenting the borough they call home. In 2014, the duo embarked on a collaborative series of photographs that show typically unseen corners of Brooklyn and tell the layered stories of its multicultural neighborhoods. A collection of 30 images from that series will be on view at the Museum of the City of New York beginning on March 11 in an exhibition titled The City Within.
More images, this way

Events & Things To Do

Parades, trivia, and live music: 20 ways to celebrate St. Patricks Day in NYC

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

March 3, 2020

Parades, trivia, and live music: 20 ways to celebrate St. Patricks Day in NYC

St. Patrick's Day takes place on Tuesday, March 17 this year but in NYC, it's much bigger than just the official holiday. Celebrations get an early start and run throughout the month with a whopping nine parades dedicated to the holiday (some have already taken place but you still have plenty to choose from). Of course, many of the festivities are known for being raucous and alcohol-fueled, but there are many other ways you can celebrate: from taking a walking tour in the former "Little Ireland" area of the Lower East Side, to learning how to bake Irish soda bread and shamrock macaroons, to getting competitive in an Irish-themed trivia night. Ahead, we rounded up 20 options and none of them involve waking up early to snag a seat at McSorley's.
Start your planning now!

Events & Things To Do

The Brooklyn Public Library is joining forces with the Brooklyn Historical Society

Photo of the Brooklyn Public Library flagship by Ajay Suresh via Flickr

February 28, 2020

The Brooklyn Public Library is joining forces with the Brooklyn Historical Society

Two Brooklyn institutions are joining forces to broaden their impact and create “the premiere collection” of archival materials related to the history of the borough. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) have announced a plan to unify their resources, which was approved by the boards of both organizations this week. The library will serve as the parent institution and the partnership is expected to bring greater financial stability to both while expanding the historical society’s reach through the library’s 59 branches.
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Events & Things To Do

Museum of Natural History’s new Halls of Gems and Minerals will open this fall

A conceptual rendering of the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, opening in fall 2020 at the American Museum of Natural History. Rendering courtesy American Museum of Natural History.

February 27, 2020

Museum of Natural History’s new Halls of Gems and Minerals will open this fall

The American Museum of Natural History announced this week that the new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals will be opening in fall of 2020. Named for longtime museum supporters Roberto and Allison Mignone, the long-awaited redesign will be a dazzling showcase for one of the greatest collections of its kind. The new Halls will be connected to Studio Gang’s 235,000-square-foot Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation.
More about the exhibitions and gallery, this way

Photo (cropped) by Alex Proimos via Wikimedia Commons

February 26, 2020

The Met reveals new commissions for summer roof garden and facade niches

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced two new sculpture commissions to be installed in the museum's facade niches and the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden later this year. Mexican artist Héctor Zamora will create a site-specific intervention on the roof titled Lattice Detour that's set to open on April 21. On September 9, American artist Carol Bove will unveil new sculptures in the building's Fifth Avenue facade niches, becoming only the second artist to activate the building's exterior in this way. The works are still in progress but Sheena Wagstaff, the Met's Leonard A. Lauder Chairman of Modern and Contemporary Art, hinted that Zamora's piece will "invite us to reconsider the panoramic view of the city skyline" and Bove's installation will feature "colorful stylized abstractions."
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Events & Things To Do

Gracie Mansion’s largest art exhibition explores social justice and inclusion

All photos by Michael Appleton/NYC Mayor’s Office

February 25, 2020

Gracie Mansion’s largest art exhibition explores social justice and inclusion

A new art exhibition is open at Gracie Mansion, the fourth and final installation of Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray's tenure. Catalyst: Art and Social Justice, which will also be the largest ever hosted at the historic home in Yorkville, features more than 75 works created by over 50 artists since the 1960s. With a focus on inclusion, the exhibit explores the connection between art, justice, and the social change movements behind it all.
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Events & Things To Do

Judge upholds $6.75M judgement against developer who destroyed 5Pointz graffiti

Photo by Ezmosis on Wikimedia

February 21, 2020

Judge upholds $6.75M judgement against developer who destroyed 5Pointz graffiti

An appeals court on Thursday upheld a $6.75 million judgement against a real estate developer who whitewashed 5Pointz, the former graffiti-covered complex in Long Island City. The 32-page decision confirms the decision made by the Federal District Court in 2018 that said developer Jerry Wolkoff of the Wolkoff Group illegally destroyed the building's colorful murals. In 2014, Wolkoff razed the iconic graffitied warehouse, which had been visible from passing trains since the 90s as a studio and exhibition space for artists. The artists, who unsuccessfully attempted to sue to stop the demolition, filed a second lawsuit in 2015 against Wolkoff, claiming their artwork was of "recognized stature" and protected by the Visual Rights Act.
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Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay

February 20, 2020

21 places to celebrate Mardi Gras and eat King Cake in NYC

By Dana Schulz

You don't have to travel to New Orleans to get in on the Mardi Gras festivities; New York City has some fun Fat Tuesday events of its own (though they may be a tad tamer than what you'll find in Louisiana!). From brass bands and jazz performances to crawfish boils and King Cake, we've rounded up 20+ great ways to celebrate Mardis Gras this year.
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Items at this pop-up grocery store in Times Square are made entirely of single-use plastic

Photograph by Maria Baranova-Suzuki courtesy of Times Square Arts.

February 20, 2020

Items at this pop-up grocery store in Times Square are made entirely of single-use plastic

With the new ban on single-use plastic bags hitting New York on March 1, a conversation has been started–and in some cases, continued–about the effects of our consumption on future generations. As important and complex as the topic may be, award-winning Brooklyn-based artist, puppet designer, and director Robin Frohardt has found a way to shine a creative light on consumption, conveniences, and the impact of single-use plastics. Located in Times Square, "The Plastic Bag Store" is an immersive, site-specific public art installation and three-act puppet show, on view from March 18 to April 12 at 20 Times Square.
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Oval Office replica opens at the New-York Historical Society

Photo by Glenn Castellano, New-York Historical Society

February 14, 2020

Oval Office replica opens at the New-York Historical Society

This Presidents' Day, visit Washington, D.C. without leaving New York City. The New-York Historical Society on Friday opened a special permanent gallery that features a detailed replica of the White House Oval Office. The "Meet the Presidents" exhibit allows visitors to play POTUS for a day, with the classic Resolute Desk set up for photo ops.
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Looking for your next great read? Here are 125 books NYPL hopes you’ll love

Photo: Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

February 14, 2020

Looking for your next great read? Here are 125 books NYPL hopes you’ll love

Forget the roses and chocolate, spend this Valentine's Day enjoying a new book. As part of its 125th-anniversary celebration, the New York Public Library on Friday released an expertly-curated list of 125 books that inspire a love of reading. A team of librarians spent a year debating and choosing its 125 Books We Love list, which includes fiction and non-fiction titles published after May 23, 1895, the year the library was incorporated.
The full list, here

Fascinating photos show the 20th-century construction of NYC’s subway system

Lexington Avenue, between 105th and 106th Streets, Manhattan, 1913. Photograph by Pierre P. Pullis, Lundin Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

February 13, 2020

Fascinating photos show the 20th-century construction of NYC’s subway system

A new photo exhibit at the New York Transit Museum provides a unique look at the construction of the city's subway system, as well as its enduring impact. Opening Thursday, Streetscapes & Subways: Photographs by Pierre P. and Granville W. Pullis shows what it was like before and after the subway system was constructed, as well as the architectural and cultural changes occurring simultaneously above ground.
See the photos here

This year, celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage and Susan B. Anthony

New York City women’s march, October 23 ,1915. Photo: Library of Congress.

February 13, 2020

This year, celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage and Susan B. Anthony