Events &amp; Things To Do

The Weeksville Heritage Center is dedicated to documenting, preserving and interpreting the history of free African American communities in central Brooklyn and beyond. Built on the site of Weeksville, once the second-largest free black community in Antebellum America, the center maintains the landmarked Hunterfly Road Houses, which are the last standing historical remnants of that remarkable community, and mounts exhibitions, installations, and community programs. But rising operational costs have left the Center in a precarious financial position, and without support, the organization may have to close its doors as early as July. To meet its short-term operating costs, the Weeksville Heritage Center has launched a crowd-funding campaign in the hopes of raising at least $200,000 by June 30th.
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Events & Things To Do

May 6, 2019

Robert Indiana’s famous ‘LOVE’ sculptures arrive along the High Line

By Dana Schulz

This past fall, the Kasmin Gallery opened a 5,000-square-foot space + rooftop sculpture garden next to Zaha Hadid's futuristic condo 520 West 28th Street. And to kick off the summer season, the High Line-adjacent space has just announced a new sculpture garden show--a trio of works from Robert Indiana's famous "Love" series. The pieces showcase the word in English (Love), Spanish (Amor), and Hebrew (Ahava), which, according to a press release "represent three of New York’s most historic and influential dialects, celebrating immigration and lingual diversity in one of the most visited public art spaces in the city."
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Events & Things To Do

Photo courtesy of NYCxDESIGN

May 6, 2019

NYCxDESIGN 2019: A guide to New York City’s annual celebration of design

By Andrew Berman of Village Preservation

You can expect to see the stars of NYCxDESIGN–sinuous sofas, luminous lighting, fab furniture, terrific textiles, and amazing accessories–for the next several years in magazines, blogs and showrooms, but you'll be seeing them here first. It’s not strictly for design geeks only, but if modern objects are your thing, get out your calendar and get ready for design heaven. ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) anchors an international celebration on a par with the Milan Furniture Fair and Stockholm Design Week, with hundreds of thousands of attendees and designers from across the globe converging on the city's five boroughs from May 10–22; much of the mid-May action happens in Manhattan, but Brooklyn weighs in with a full calendar of collective events in hotspots like the Navy Yard and Industry City that serve as design hubs 365 days a year. Read on for a handful of highlights.
What's next in design, this way

Go inside 7 landmarked houses in Greenwich Village this weekend

Image of a past house tour courtesy of Village Preservation

May 2, 2019

Go inside 7 landmarked houses in Greenwich Village this weekend

This Sunday, Village Preservation will hold its 21st annual Spring Benefit House Tour. As this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District, all the homes and the reception site are landmarked structures located within the district. The tour is the main annual fundraiser for Village Preservation, allowing us to conduct hundreds of educational programs throughout the year and work to protect the irreplaceable history and architecture of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Noho. The addresses of the homes are kept secret to all but ticket buyers, and until the tour. But we can offer a sneak peek at some of the amazing historic homes you will be able to see on the tour--from the current home of Linda Ellerbee and the former residence of Marlon Brando to a one-time speakeasy and a sleek, modern renovation.
What you can expect on this year's tour

Events & Things To Do

Latest MCNY exhibit explores the labor movement in New York

Picketing ILGWU members outside Macy’s department store urge shoppers not to buy Judy Bond blouses. Circa 1965. Courtesy Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives, Cornell University.

April 30, 2019

Latest MCNY exhibit explores the labor movement in New York

The Museum of the City of New York will kick off its new exhibit, "City of Workers, City of Struggle," on May 1st, a date celebrated by workers around the world as May Day. The exhibit will explore how labor movements transformed New York and made it the most unionized large city in the United States. A robust public events calendar and moonlight movie series will add more exciting dimensions to this exploration of 200 years of labor politics in New York.
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Six of the season’s best neighborhood food festivals

Image courtesy of Gary Petersen

April 29, 2019

Six of the season’s best neighborhood food festivals

By Alexandra Alexa

The city really comes alive during the spring, and neighborhood food festivals offer a fun and exciting way to toast the warm weather and try some new, seasonal bites from the city's best restaurants. With live music, celebrity chefs in attendance, and activities for the whole family, food festivals have something to offer every palate. Below, we've rounded up the season's best indoor and alfresco events for your tastebuds, from the Upper West and Lower East Sides to Cobble Hill to Harlem.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

Jane’s Walk Weekend offers nearly 300 free walking tours around NYC

Jane’s Walk photo courtesy of MAS

April 29, 2019

Jane’s Walk Weekend offers nearly 300 free walking tours around NYC

Jane's Walk photo courtesy of MAS Get ready to walk! The great urbanist Jane Jacobs advocated for livable, walkable cities, and the Municipal Art Society invites you to do just that during the first weekend in May. MAS's 9th annual Jane's Walk weekend, a three-day festival of free, public, volunteer-led walking tours, kicks off Friday, May 3rd. The Jane's Walk festival is a global event honoring Jane Jacobs' legacy of urban exploration, local history, and civic engagement. This year, Jane's Walks will take place in 200 cities around the world, and New Yorkers will have nearly 300 walks to choose from!
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Rockefeller Center office tower will be converted into Airbnb rentals

75 Rockefeller Plaza via Google Street View

April 29, 2019

Rockefeller Center office tower will be converted into Airbnb rentals

Ten floors of an office tower in Rockefeller Center will be converted into short-term rentals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. RXR Realty, which has leased the tower at 75 Rockefeller Plaza since 2012, has partnered with Airbnb to transform a portion of the 87-year-old building into roughly 200 units of high-end lodging. In a press release, RXR CEO Scott Rechler described the new venture as a "travel experience that immerses guests in a dynamic, thriving community in the heart of Rockefeller Center that's vastly different than anything else in the market today."
Get the scoop

Noguchi Museum to expand LIC campus, open the sculptor’s studio to the public for the first time

Rendering of the Noguchi Museum campus by Büro Koray Duman

April 26, 2019

Noguchi Museum to expand LIC campus, open the sculptor’s studio to the public for the first time

The original studio and pied-à-terre of Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi will open to the public for the first time as part of a new unified campus, the Noguchi Museum announced earlier this month. The Long Island City museum plans to expand its existing museum and sculpture garden, founded by Noguchi in 1985, by adding a new 6,000-square-foot building and restoring the sculptor's studio.
Get the details

NYC spring art guide 2019: Don’t-miss exhibits, events, and installations

New York City's art scene blossoms anew in springtime, with fresh ways to look at classic museum collections, international art fairs, cutting-edge installations and everything in between. And new public works pop up in the city's parks and gardens, making it possible to enjoy both the outdoors and the art. We've rounded up a list of must-see exhibits, fairs, and installations to get you started.
Check out our top spring picks

Events & Things To Do

Photo via Pixabay

April 25, 2019

French Embassy celebrates Notre Dame with special St. Patrick’s Cathedral concert

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The French Embassy in the United States has organized a series of solidarity concerts throughout the country as a way to celebrate the international significance of Notre-Dame following the April 15th fire that ravaged the Medieval wooden roof and iconic pinnacle. In the spirit of French-American friendship, each concert--in NYC, Washington DC, San Francisco, and New Orleans--will be held at an American Cathedral and will feature a French organist. Here in NYC, the free April 26th concert will be held at none other than St. Patrick's Cathedral.
All the details

Events & Things To Do

Artists chosen for Shirley Chisholm statue in Prospect Park

Rendering by Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous.

April 24, 2019

Artists chosen for Shirley Chisholm statue in Prospect Park

In New York City's five boroughs, only five out of 150 monuments of historic figures depict women. Launched last year, a program from Women.nyc called She Built NYC is attempting to narrow that gap by commissioning monuments throughout the city honoring visionary women who have helped define the city and made an impact on the world. To that end, acclaimed artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous have been selected to design the first of these monuments, which will honor celebrated New York congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.
More of the winning design, this way

Get your sweet fix while exploring downtown Manhattan on an Underground Donut Tour

Photos courtesy of Underground Donut Tour

April 22, 2019

Get your sweet fix while exploring downtown Manhattan on an Underground Donut Tour

By Alexandra Alexa

After finding success in Chicago and Philadelphia, the Underground Donut Tour has officially launched in New York City (h/t amNY), where there’s no shortage of both modern and classic takes on the popular dessert. And while it’s the perfect way to fulfill your cravings and try new flavor profiles, you don’t have to be a donut fanatic (or a cop) to enjoy yourself. During the two-hour tour, participants will hit up four of the city’s best donut shops while traversing several historic neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan and learning a fun array of facts about the city.
Donut details this way

Events & Things To Do

Parts of every NYC borough will go car free next weekend for Earth Day

Photo courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

April 19, 2019

Parts of every NYC borough will go car free next weekend for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day next weekend, New York City is closing some of its streets to cars. As part of an annual event run by the city's Department of Transportation, 30 blocks of Broadway from Times Square to Union Square will be closed on April 27 to allow pedestrians and cyclists to roam and ride free between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Along the nearly two-mile route, the city will offer some environmental programs and nonprofit organizations will be on-site to educate walkers about climate change and sustainability.
Learn more

April 19, 2019

14 of this year’s best spring house tours in and around New York City

By Alexandra Alexa

House tour season is kicking off on May 2 this year with the opening of the Kips Bay Decorator's Show House and will continue throughout the summer at various sites throughout the city, New Jersey, and farther afield. For architecture buffs, history junkies, and avid gardeners, this time of year offers the rare opportunity to get an insider's look at some of the most spectacular homes and surprising gardens in and around New York City. Below we've rounded up 14 of the season's best tours, from the Upper East Side to Park Slope to Nyack to Long Beach Island, and we're sure everyone will find something to suit their interests and budget.
All the Spring House Tour info ahead

April 17, 2019

Spring cleaning in NYC: Where to dispose of and donate your unwanted items

By Ben Kharakh

Spring may have started on March 20, but it’s only now that the weather’s warming up in New York City, which means it’s time for spring cleaning. Thanks to the recent Marie Kondo mania, cleaning has transformed from a chore to a celebration, but once you've taken stock of your life and separated that which sparks joy from that which simply takes up space, what do you do with all that unwanted stuff? From disposing of bulk items and electronics to making donations, here's a handy NYC spring cleaning guide.
Here are our tips

Events & Things To Do

Get a first look at City Winery’s new Pier 57 location

Rendering courtesy of City Winery/Fox Greenberg PR.

April 15, 2019

Get a first look at City Winery’s new Pier 57 location

After much anticipation, Tribeca venue City Winery recently announced that it will leave its 10-year home at 155 Varick Street for a new 32,000-square-foot space at Pier 57 in Hudson River Park. The Pier will be anchored by Google and occupies a highly visible location at West 15th Street. The venue has just released renderings of both the exterior and the inside of the new space.
Find out more

Image via Wikimedia cc.

April 15, 2019

Renovated Webster Hall will host Jay-Z, Patti Smith for official reopening concerts

The historic East Village music venue Webster Hall is scheduled to reopen on April 26, 2019 after being closed for nearly 19 months for renovations. The concert hall was first opened in 1886, making it New York's oldest still-operating venue. According to AMNewYork, the Marlin concert room, Grand Ballroom and studio space have had a complete overhaul; the venue, which was acquired by Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and AEG Presents (parent company of The Bowery Presents) in 2017, has announced a reopening concert featuring Jay-Z performing "The B-Sides," as well as a month of notable shows that will include Patti Smith, MGMT, Built To Spill, Sharon Van Etten, Broken Social Scene, Real Estate and more.
Find out more

You can book a ‘Game of Thrones’ inspired suite at this Midtown hotel

Photo by Allan Warren

April 12, 2019

You can book a ‘Game of Thrones’ inspired suite at this Midtown hotel

A hotel near Bryant Park wants to up your "Game of Thrones" viewing party game. The Refinery Hotel, located on West 38th Street, has created "Lannister's Lair," a suite designed for the biggest GOT fans. Starting at $569 per night, the room comes equipped with fur throws, "Dragon egg" candles, and a themed room service menu that would make even George R.R. Martin proud.
How to book

Events & Things To Do

See the stone monoliths being installed at new 9/11 memorial for first responders

Photo courtesy of 9/11 Memorial & Museum

April 8, 2019

See the stone monoliths being installed at new 9/11 memorial for first responders

The main pieces of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's new monument were laid in place on Saturday at the corner of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The memorial, dubbed the 9/11 Memorial Glade, honors first responders and those who are sick or who have died from 9/11-related illnesses. The Memorial Glade's six stone monoliths will flank a pathway and point skyward, to represent the "strength and determination through adversity" of rescue and relief workers in the aftermath of September 11.
See the installation

Celebrate 50 years of the Greenwich Village Historic District with a neighborhood-wide open house

Via Flickr cc

April 5, 2019

Celebrate 50 years of the Greenwich Village Historic District with a neighborhood-wide open house

Via Flickr cc The Greenwich Village Historic District was officially landmarked in April 1969. To celebrate the district's 50th anniversary, Village Preservation will host a Village Open House Weekend on April 13th and 14th. Throughout the weekend, more than 70 local businesses, houses of worship, theaters, educational institutions, bars, restaurants, and neighborhood landmarks will open their doors, offering walking tours, events, and promotions.
All the details

Events & Things To Do

Sample the wares and see what’s new at NYC’s top flea and food markets

Image courtesy of Brooklyn Flea; photo credit: Scott Lynch

April 5, 2019

Sample the wares and see what’s new at NYC’s top flea and food markets

The city's local flea and food markets set up shop in springtime, bringing irresistible edibles and covetable goods to a neighborhood near you. Though dates and locations vary and favorite vendors come and go, the mighty market phenomenon keeps growing. The shop-and-nosh mecca Brooklyn Flea again changes locations (hello, WTC!), a favorite night market returns in Queens, and the Manhattan classics are back to offer more of what you didn't know you couldn't live without. Some of the best fairs are the most fleeting, and one-offs like the annual Renegade Arts and Crafts Fair are always worth the trip. The list below rounds up the city's top food and flea picks. Let the hunting and gathering begin!
Plan your market strategy

Events & Things To Do

See inside Hudson Yards arts center The Shed

View from Hudson Yards; Photo by Iwan Baan, courtesy of The Shed

April 5, 2019

See inside Hudson Yards arts center The Shed

A new cultural institution in New York City is finally open after more than a decade in the making. The Shed, which straddles the recently opened Hudson Yards neighborhood and the High Line on 30th Street, will commission and present original artwork across a variety of disciplines. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rockwell Group, the building features a 120-foot movable shell, allowing it to physically change on demand and adapt to different performances. Kicking things off today, April 5 is a five-night concert series, "Soundtrack of America," which was directed by Steve McQueen, Quincy Jones, and Maureen Mahon, and explores the impact of African American music on modern culture.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

A giant NYC scavenger hunt is happening next month

via MCNY

April 4, 2019

A giant NYC scavenger hunt is happening next month