Events &amp; Things To Do

On Thursday, the week-long holiday Kwanzaa kicks off as a celebration of African American culture and heritage in the United States. From Dec. 26, through Jan. 1, New Yorkers can learn about the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba, through traditional music and dancing, kinara lighting, African folklore storytime, and a bar crawl featuring only black-owned businesses. Ahead, find the best places in NYC to celebrate Kwanzaa, from family-friendly arts and crafts and lectures at the Brooklyn Children's Museum to live performances at Harlem's iconic Apollo Theater.
The full list, ahead

Events & Things To Do

Dumbo’s Time Out Market adds rooftop igloos for festive cocktails

Photo: Time Out/Ali Garber

December 20, 2019

Dumbo’s Time Out Market adds rooftop igloos for festive cocktails

Ever since Instagram made popular Midtown bar 230 Fifth's rooftop "igloos" an international sensation, other drinking and dining establishments have been hopping on the dome train, too. The latest comes from Dumbo's Time Out Market food hall, where guests can enjoy a special wintery cocktail menu in an enclosed bubble overlooking the Manhattan Bridge and skyline. Called the Rooftop Iglounge, the three domes are available on a first-come basis and can each accommodate eight guests.
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Artist Kent Monkman’s new murals at The Met reexamine Manhattan’s colonial past

Photos by Anna-Marie Kellen

December 19, 2019

Artist Kent Monkman’s new murals at The Met reexamine Manhattan’s colonial past

Two new paintings by Canadian Cree artist Kent Monkman are now on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Great Hall. As part of a new series in which the museum invites contemporary artists to make work in response to the Met collection, Monkman reappropriated motifs from Western artists such as Emanuel Leutze and Eugéne Delacroix to tell a different narrative that foregrounds themes of arrival, migration, displacement, and the Indigenous experience.
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Events & Things To Do

How to spend New Year’s Eve 2020 in NYC without going near Times Square

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

December 17, 2019

How to spend New Year’s Eve 2020 in NYC without going near Times Square

New Year’s Eve is one of those events where it seems all of humanity has converged upon New York City. If you fancy rubbing shoulders (or more) with at least a million of them, Times Square is your best bet. But if you’d rather enjoy a more curated, yet still public, experience, check out any of the many events happening in the city as the second decade of the millennium lurches to a close; below is just a sampling. Debauch responsibly–hindsight, as they say, is 2020.
2020, this way

Events & Things To Do

Snap a photo with the ‘2020’ New Year’s Eve sign in Times Square

Photo by Ian Hardy for Countdown Entertainment

December 16, 2019

Snap a photo with the ‘2020’ New Year’s Eve sign in Times Square

The new year has arrived in New York City...at least in numbers. Two seven-foot-tall numerals, the "2" and "0" in 2020, are currently on display in Times Square, offering the public a chance to snap a photo with the famous digits before they are placed on top of One Times Square. The 2020 signage sits below the crystal-filled New Year's Eve ball and will light up at midnight on December 31, marking the start of a new decade.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Gramercy Park will open to the public on Christmas Eve for one hour

Photo by Sean Brady, courtesy of the Gramercy Park Block Association

December 13, 2019

Gramercy Park will open to the public on Christmas Eve for one hour

Photo by Sean Brady, courtesy of the Gramercy Park Block Association It's a Christmas Eve miracle. The gates to Gramercy Park will open to all for one hour on Dec. 24, the only time of year the public can enjoy the exclusive greenspace. The Gramercy Park Block Association on Friday confirmed to 6sqft that the private park between East 20th and East 21st Street will once again open from 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. for caroling this Christmas Eve. All other times of the year, the park is only accessible to residents with one of the 400 keys, provided to those who live in the 39 buildings surrounding the square.
What you need to know

Events & Things To Do

Image by Skeez via Pixabay cc

December 12, 2019

Despite a historic precedent, in NYC Mrs. Claus is basically a glorified elf

Though all across the U.S. of A., Santa Claus and his missus appear arm in arm, NYC Santas have no time (or budget) for a wife, according to the Wall Street Journal. Several women who don Mrs. Claus outfits in a professional capacity during the winter holiday season have said that they're not only paid about half what Santa gets–more along the lines of what an elf is paid, according to Brian Harrell, CEO of the Minneapolis-based All Time Favorites, Inc. which employs 600 “premium” Santa performers–but there's not much call for Mrs. Claus in the city at all.
Behind every good man–at least in pay

December 12, 2019

NYC’s 11 best starchitect-designed buildings that you can live in

By Lidia Ryan

The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center: all buildings that instantly come to mind when you think of the iconic New York City skyline. But more and more new skyscrapers are beginning to pop up in that classic view. And while it’s likely many an architects' dream to contribute a design to the most famous skyline in the world, only a handful of world-renowned "starchitects" get to do it. Ahead, 6sqft has rounded up 11 starchitect-designed condo buildings that you can actually live in, from veterans like Robert A.M. Stern and Renzo Piano to some more up-and-comers like David Adjaye and Bjarke Ingels.
See the list

What you need to know to survive SantaCon 2019

Photo by Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

December 12, 2019

What you need to know to survive SantaCon 2019

For its 25th year, SantaCon planned a series of yacht parties that would have spared New York City the drunken "festivities" that many decry as "the worst day of the year." Alas, that plan was canceled after pushback from residents and local officials, so Midtown will once again be flooded with ho-ho-hordes of drunk bros in Santa outfits. Whether you embrace the event's mission of spreading "absurdist joy" or you consider this the one day of the year that you must stay indoors, here's what you need to know about the event, taking place on Saturday.
Brace yourself...

Events & Things To Do

What to do in NYC on Christmas Day

By Rebecca Fishbein

Despite being the City That Never Sleeps, New York does close down a bit on Christmas Day, with all sorts of museums, shops, restaurants, and other businesses giving their staff a break for the holiday. But for those of us who do not celebrate or won't be spending all of Christmas at home squabbling over politics with family, there’s still plenty to do in town, especially if you get a little creative. Here are seven great options.
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Events & Things To Do

December 10, 2019

2019 holiday gift guide: 20 gifts for the New Yorker who has it all

Not sure what to get the New Yorker who has it all? We've put together a list of 20 items at every price point that will satisfy even the most jaded New Yorker. From historic prints of old New York and classic mom-and-pops to skyscraper champagne flutes and Brooklyn map coasters to some more offbeat items like a sew-your-own Jane Jacobs doll and an authentic Katz's deli apron.
Check them all out here

Swedish photography museum Fotografiska to open in the historic Church Missions House

Renderings courtesy of CetraRuddy

December 10, 2019

Swedish photography museum Fotografiska to open in the historic Church Missions House

Stockholm-based photography museum Fotografiska is opening its first stateside outpost in New York City this month. Housed inside the former Church Missions House at 281 Park Avenue South, the organization will bring 45,000 square feet of exhibition and event spaces, alongside a restaurant inspired by European “grand cafés.” New York firm CetraRuddy led the restoration and redesign of the landmarked space, working with Higgins Quasebarth & Partners to preserve the stained-glass windows and limestone and granite facade of the Renaissance Revival building.
More info

2019 holiday gift guide: The best gifts for kids in New York City

Photo by @lordmaui via Unsplash

December 10, 2019

2019 holiday gift guide: The best gifts for kids in New York City

Nobody appreciates a great gift like a child, but New York City kids are a tough audience. They've already got the world at their feet, even if they're not possessed of a pile of material goods. Fortunately, there are lots of options for cool presents for your favorite pint-sized architects, athletes, fashionistas and foodies as well as the Big Apple babies on your list. Check out our list below for a handful of gift ideas for New York City kids.
Great gifts for NYC kids, this way

See NYC’s 2019 holiday windows (without facing the crowds)

All photos © James and Karla Murray

December 9, 2019

See NYC’s 2019 holiday windows (without facing the crowds)

The city may have created additional pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center this year, but the throngs of tourists are still filling the streets around the Christmas tree and holiday windows. If you'd rather not deal with the crowds, photographers James and Karla Murray have captured the best of this year's windows, from the magical "Frozen" themed light show at Saks Fifth Avenue to the artistic displays at Bergdorf Goodman. Ahead, see what's on view this year and learn a bit more about what goes into creating these whimsical scenes.
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Events & Things To Do

A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

Good luck finding a Christmas tree in NYC for under $75 this year; Photo by Billy Williams on Unsplash

December 9, 2019

A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

A Christmas tree vendor in Manhattan is selling 20-foot Fraser firs for $6,500 each, most likely the most expensive evergreen in the city, the New York Post reported Sunday. Scott Lechner, the manager of Soho Trees, located near Canal Street, told the newspaper that the exorbitant prices aren't slowing sales. "We're sold out," he said. The steep price tag includes delivery and installation.
More here

Events & Things To Do

The best holiday decorations for modern apartment living

Photo via Pexels

December 6, 2019

The best holiday decorations for modern apartment living

So maybe you don't have room for a Norway spruce big enough to rival Rockefeller Center's. Maybe you don't even have a chimney from which to hang stockings with care. Or maybe holiday decorating seems a little old fashioned–which might be just what you're looking for. The good thing about the season is that adding sparkle doesn't take up a lot of space. The choices are nearly endless; what you choose should reflect nothing so much as your own personal style. From classic to retro to contemporary to some more out-of-the-box picks, here are some ideas for small-space holiday decorating.
What's your holiday decorating style?

Take a bus tour of NYC through the eyes of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

In the show, Midge Maisel visits New York City’s oldest bar, McSorley’s Old Ale House. In reality, the establishment barred women until 1970. Photo © James and Karla Murray for 6sqft

December 5, 2019

Take a bus tour of NYC through the eyes of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

Fans of the Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will soon be able to tour famed New York City locations featured in the show. Starting Dec. 16, On Locations Tours, which runs television and movie-themed tours in NYC and Boston, is offering a bus tour that stops at filming locations of the popular show, coinciding with the release of its third season this week. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the tours will be held three times a week and cost $52.
Get the details

Construction begins on Fort Greene’s newest cultural center at 300 Ashland Place

Renderings courtesy of TEN Arquitectos and Andrea Steele Architecture

December 5, 2019

Construction begins on Fort Greene’s newest cultural center at 300 Ashland Place

The city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is starting construction on a new cultural center housed within the 32-story tower at 300 Ashland Place in Fort Greene. The new L10 Arts and Cultural Center will span across 50,000 square feet and host a range of institutions, including new gallery and performance spaces for the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), three cinemas for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), rehearsal studios and performance space for 651 ARTS, and a new branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.
More info

Events & Things To Do

This Saturday, celebrate the 300th anniversary of Brooklyn’s Lott House

Photo by Alyssa Loorya, VP of Friends of the Lott House

December 4, 2019

This Saturday, celebrate the 300th anniversary of Brooklyn’s Lott House

It's been 300 years since the Hendrick I. Lott House was built on a rural piece of land in Marine Park, Brooklyn. One of the few Dutch-American houses remaining in NYC, in its original location no less, the Lott House also has the distinction of being the longest single-family owned and occupied home in the city. Though it is currently closed for renovations, the Lott House still hosts educational events, and this Saturday, they'll be celebrating their milestone anniversary with a holiday celebration, tree lighting, and rare chance to go inside.
More details

December 4, 2019

NYC’s 11 most festive bars and restaurants

By Rebecca Fishbein

With its lit-up streets and sidewalk tree-sellers, New York is at its best during the holidays, especially if you can avoid tourist-clogged areas like Rockefeller Center and Times Square. There are lots of lovely festive spots to celebrate seasonal cheer, including local bars and restaurants that transform their spaces into holiday wonderlands, complete with themed drinks, bites, and lots of Christmas lights. Here are some of our favorites.
11 spots to get festive

Everything you need to know about this year’s Rockefeller Center tree lighting

Image by Michael Vadon via Wikimedia Commons

December 4, 2019

Everything you need to know about this year’s Rockefeller Center tree lighting

The 2019 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been in place for nearly a month, and it's almost ready to get lit. The 87th annual tree lighting ceremony will take place later tonight, with tens of thousands of spectators expected for the festivities and millions more tuning in on television. The event is free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, so read on for everything you need to know if you plan on getting a spot (or if you'd rather watch from your couch!).
More details

Events & Things To Do

December 3, 2019

20 ways to celebrate the 2019 holiday season in NYC

If you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York City for the winter holidays, you'll find just about every kind of celebration imaginable from longtime traditions like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the Rockettes and the Nutcracker to movie classics in theaters and neighborhoods ablaze with lights. And if you're seeking a break from traditional festivities, there are plenty of creative and unconventional ways to enjoy the season.
and SantaCon ain't one

Events & Things To Do

Image by Gerhard Gellinger via Pixabay

December 2, 2019

The 13 best Advent calendars of 2019

Advent calendars–those countdown calendars with little doors or tabs that can be opened each day of the month–are a visual, hands-on way to deal with counting the days 'til Christmas. The idea falls somewhere between a card and a gift, with the added excitement of having each day be a chance to reveal a new bauble, bonbon, potion or prize. Both the ritual of finding out what’s behind the door–and getting to enjoy it–can be almost as fun for grown-ups as kids. Below are 12 cool countdown calendars stocked with treats from chocolates and tea to Marvel figurines and "Game of Thrones" socks (yes, really.)–and one DIY version you can fill with whatever you like.
cool advent calendars, this way

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC

Christmas shoppers on 6th Avenue (1910) via Library of Congress

November 27, 2019

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC