Search Results for: New York Subway free programs

April 1, 2026

MoMA PS1 to host free block party for 50th anniversary

MoMA PS1 is hosting a free block party next month to celebrate its 50th anniversary, bringing live music, food, and special programming to its longtime home in Long Island City. The event will take place across the museum's plaza, courtyard, and galleries on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and include curator-led talks, artist activations, performances, and offerings from local food vendors. The celebration coincides with the opening weekend of "Greater New York," the museum’s signature survey of working NYC artists, which highlights more than 50 multidisciplinary creatives in the early stages of their careers.
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January 20, 2026

The 15 best free and cheap winter activities in NYC

Winter came early to New York City this year, and jacket season is in full swing across the five boroughs. The long stretch until spring and summer’s outdoor activities can feel discouraging, but there are still plenty of free and affordable ways to enjoy the city in the meantime. Ahead, here's a list of the best affordable and free activities NYC has to offer during the winter months, from getting your fitness on during Zumba classes in public parks to dining for cheap at over 600 restaurants during winter Restaurant Week.
Cheap ways to enjoy nyc WINTER, ahead
December 2, 2025

Say ‘farewell’ to the MetroCard at New York Transit Museum exhibit

Before the MetroCard is retired this month, the New York Transit Museum is saying goodbye to the iconic transit payment method with a special exhibit. Opening on December 17, "FAREwell, MetroCard" explores the MetroCard’s history, from its creation and adoption to the technology behind it, and highlights how it has become a cultural artifact for millions of New Yorkers. The exhibition also offers insight into what was, at the time, a cutting-edge technology that eliminated the need for tokens, ahead of December 31, when the MTA will stop selling MetroCards as the system continues its transition to OMNY.
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October 1, 2025

Trump withholds $18B for Second Avenue subway, Gateway tunnel projects

President Donald Trump's administration announced it is withholding $18 billion for two critical New York City infrastructure projects, the Second Avenue Subway and the Hudson River Gateway Tunnel, citing the state's "unconstitutional DEI principles." In a statement, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said funds for the two projects are frozen until the department can review what it calls "discriminatory, unconstitutional contracting processes." The move from Trump came hours after the federal government shutdown.
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October 1, 2025

NYC subway and bus fare to increase to $3

It will officially cost you 10 more cents to ride New York City subways and buses starting in January. On Tuesday, the MTA Board voted 11-0, with two abstentions, to approve fare hikes raising the base fare from $2.90 to $3. Reduced fares will go up from $1.45 to $1.50 and express bus fares from $7 to $7.25. The agency did scale back increases to its 7-day fare-capping program from $36 to $35 in response to rider feedback.
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November 22, 2023

New York City’s best holiday markets of 2023

The holiday season has hit New York City in full force, and despite the convenience of online buying, the city's streets are bustling with shoppers scurrying to find unique gifts and goodies. Popping up to meet the winter frenzy is a triumphant trove of festive markets offering one-of-a-kind creations–and a chance to mingle, jingle, nibble, and nosh. Read on for our picks of the best holiday markets and pop-up shops, from the familiar holiday hubs at Union Square and Bryant Park to an upstate farm and flea affair in Hudson.
Shop local, this way
October 27, 2022

10 years after Superstorm Sandy: rebuilding, redesigning and rethinking New York City

A decade ago, an Atlantic hurricane-turned-superstorm named Sandy caught ready-for-anything New York City completely off guard as it raged up the East Coast from the Caribbean to Canada. On October 29, 2012, the city was blindsided by an unanticipated storm surge that flooded streets and subway tunnels and cut power. It took some areas weeks to get the lights back on and, in the best of cases, open for business, and years to rebuild (an effort which is still ongoing). It goes without saying that the city would like this disaster to be the first and last of its kind, but predictions of future environmental impacts are front-page news daily. To that end, experts and innovators in architecture and engineering, government organizations, regulators, and planners have dedicated their efforts–and billions of dollars–to protect the city in a post-Sandy world. But what has really been accomplished–and is the city safer?
Storm clouds, silver linings, but few solutions
October 7, 2022

New exhibition at Grand Central traces 100 years of urban planning and design in NYC

In celebration of its centennial, the civic group Regional Plan Association has opened a free public exhibition in Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall. Designed by James Sanders Studio and curated by RPA, The Constant Future: A Century of the Regional Plan explores 100 years of New York City's development from 1922 to the present day. The two-story display will be on view through October 24.
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August 31, 2022

Your guide to the Financial District, NYC’s oldest new downtown neighborhood

Located at the southernmost part of lower Manhattan–and at the center of the global financial universe–New York City's Financial District in many ways represents New York City to the world. Encompassing the area south of City Hall Park, with the corner of Wall and Broad Streets as its center, this bustling grid of streets is also a waterfront neighborhood, surrounded by New York Harbor and the East River. As a backdrop, the towering masts of South Street Seaport's tall ships recall the maritime history of the city's earliest days. The business of finance is still anchored here, but as with all New York City neighborhoods, change is around every corner, and the number of residents who call this downtown district home continues to grow.
What to do and see, and where to live in Fidi
February 8, 2021

‘Arts Revival’ program to include 300+ outdoor pop-up performances and events around New York

Starting this month, more than 300 outdoor pop-up events and performances will take place across New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday. "NY PopsUp" kicks off on February 20 at the Javits Center with a special performance dedicated to healthcare workers and runs over the course of 100 days. The effort is part of the governor's "Arts Revival" initiative aimed at bringing back art and culture to the state and as part of its recovery from the coronavirus.
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June 17, 2020

New report calls for a 425-mile protected bikeway that would connect NYC’s five boroughs

When the coronavirus pandemic hit New York City earlier this year, many New Yorkers swapped the subway for cycling as a more socially distant way to commute. Now as the city enters its COVID-19 recovery phase, a planning group is calling on officials to build a network of protected bike lanes across the five boroughs. The Regional Plan Association (RPA) on Wednesday released a report that details plans for a 425-mile bikeway that could be constructed over the next five years and provide a continuous, safe connection between the boroughs.
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September 16, 2019

Fall art roundup: Highlights of the season’s new crop of exhibitions, openings and events

When autumn rolls into New York City, the fall arts season heats up with museum exhibits, gallery openings, art fairs and more to keep us culturally fulfilled through shorter days and colder nights. Below are our top picks and suggestions for the season’s art whirl, from an all new MoMA to open studios in Bushwick.
Inspirational art, this way
June 3, 2019

50 ways to celebrate Stonewall 50 and Pride Month in NYC

Fifty years have passed since the Stonewall Uprising changed New York City forever and gave the world a symbol of the struggle for LGBTQ rights and recognition. There are a seemingly endless number of ways to celebrate this milestone, learn about the history of the gay rights movement and enjoy a rainbow of diversity. Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit organization behind New York City’s official LGBTQIA+ WorldPride events, offers an interactive map to help navigate the many events planned this month. Below, you'll find 50 ways to celebrate Pride Month.
Pride, parades and parties, this way
April 22, 2019

Age-friendly NYC: The best neighborhoods for New Yorkers 65+

More than 17 percent of New Yorkers are over the age of 60, and over the coming two decades, this number is expected to rise to well over 20 percent. To address the specific needs of older New Yorkers and to ensure the city is able to fully benefit from their presence, New York City has launched an Age-Friendly Neighborhoods Initiative. Modeled after similar initiatives in cities around the world, it is described as “an opportunity to build upon the rich experiences of older adults and leverage the strengths of local neighborhoods that make each New York City community unique.” This article explores what “age-friendly” neighborhoods look like and examines five NYC neighborhoods where at least 25 percent of residents are already 65 years of age or older, from the Upper East Side to Brighton Beach.
All the info ahead
December 6, 2018

40 NYC-themed gifts for every type of New Yorker

Whether you need just a few more items to check off your holiday shopping list or you haven’t even started thinking about it yet, follow our guide to make this year’s gift-giving totally stressfree. We’ve rounded up the 40 best presents that are uniquely New York for every type of Big Apple dweller, from the transit nerd and the foodie to the architecture buff and bookworm. Priced between $10 and $295, recommended gifts include everything from a cheese class with Murray's Cheese to a walking tour of Flushing, Queens.
See the full list
August 29, 2017

New Queens-to-Manhattan NYC Ferry route launches today

The Astoria route of the NYC Ferry officially launched today, the fourth route introduced by the city this year. The service stops in Astoria, Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, East 34th Street and Wall Street, the complete trip totaling 47 minutes. While the ferries have been popular with commuters, two extra boats were added and fleets under construction were redesigned to be larger in June, concerns about recreational boaters coexisting without colliding into ferries have grown. As the New York Times reported, one free kayaking class won’t run their program until deciding it’s safe enough to do so.
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April 4, 2017

The 10 best neighborhoods for New York City artists

Like most things in New York, creative communities come and ago as new development and rising rents force artists to move on to the next best, or cheaper neighborhood. While 6sqft found 'hoods like the Upper East Side, Harlem and Long Island City to be the best places for artists a few years back, we've updated our top-10 list to reflect the changing times. Ahead you'll find some areas you may expect--Sunset Park and Bushwick, for example, along with more up-and-coming artsy enclaves like Newark, Washington Heights, and the South Bronx.
The full list right this way
January 19, 2017

Gain free admission to these NYC cultural institutions on Inauguration Day

A couple weeks ago, a long list of artists, including Cindy Sherman and Richard Serra, started a petition calling for cultural institutions to close on Inauguration Day as "an act of noncompliance" against "Trumpism." That list has grown to 740 artists and critics, and many galleries, museums, and academic spaces will shut their doors tomorrow according to the J20 Art Strike. But there's also a long list of museums and cultural institutions across the city that have decided to take an alternate approach and remain open, offering free admission and/or special programming. From a marathon reading of Langston Hughes’s"Let America Be America Again" at the Brooklyn Museum to special gallery tours at the Rubin, these are all the (free!) ways to use the arts as an outlet on Inauguration Day.
See the full list here
October 16, 2015

6sqft’s Must-See Recommendations for This Weekend’s Open House New York

This year's Open House New York takes place this weekend on October 17th and 18th. A full roster of sites was revealed just over a week ago, and there is certainly plenty to see. But how will you prioritize? To help make planning your itinerary a bit easier, 6sqft has put together a list of recommendations for not-to-be-missed sites, from Google's headquarters to a food factory tour at Industry City to the 1920s gilded Loew's Kings Theatre.
See our picks here
October 1, 2015

Construction Kicks Off at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Eight-Acre Marina Atop a Subway Line

Most of the conversation about Brooklyn Bridge Park has been centered around the residential Pierhouse and the controversy surrounding its height, but right next door, an entirely different part of the urban development is taking shape. The Wall Street Journal reports that construction on the eight-acre $28 million marina between Piers 4 and 5 has commenced, with an opening planned for next spring. Officially called One° 15 Brooklyn Marina, its sailing club already has 145 pre-registered members. In addition to the fact that it will bring 140 slips to Brooklyn Heights, the project is most notable for its unconventional construction. Normally to build a marina, dock builders drill piles into the waterbed to support the docks, but at this site the R subway line is directly below. "The solution was to sink 160 giant concrete blocks, weighing 10 tons each, to the bottom of the East River," says the Journal. Then, "a large, elastic bungee cord-like mooring system called Seaflex will be used to connect the dock on the water’s surface to the concrete block below."
More details and renderings
July 24, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Gabrielle Shubert Reflects on Her Ride at the New York Transit Museum

On the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn is what looks like a regular subway entrance. But upon further inspection, it becomes clear that there's no uptown and downtown platforms here. This is the New York Transit Museum, the largest museum dedicated to urban public transportation in the country. It's fittingly located inside a decommissioned–but still working–subway station. And over the last 40 years, it has told one of New York's most important stories–how mass transit and city development are intricately connected and how public transportation is one of the city's crowning achievements, in spite of its delays and crowded rides. Gabrielle Shubert has served as the museum's director for the past 24 years. She transformed a young institution into a go-to destination for learning about and engaging with urban history. From vintage cars to subway fares, Gabrielle has offered visitors a chance to go behind the scenes and marvel at the wonders of New York City's incredible public transportation system. On the eve of her retirement, we sat down with Gabrielle in one of the museum's vintage cars and found out about her early days as director, the range of exhibits and programming she has overseen, and the institution's bright future.
Read the interview here
June 12, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Al Diaz on NYC Street Art and Working with Jean-Michel Basquiat

Artist Al Diaz is often asked to speak at panel discussions about Jean-Michel Basquiat or to lend his expertise for new exhibits about the world-famous artist. But Diaz was just as much a part of the downtown street art movement as his buddy Basquiat; in fact, the two got involved with the art form together. They met in high school and created the tag SAMO©, which appeared throughout lower Manhattan between 1977 and 1979 and put them on the map. They were first-generation NYC subway graffiti artists, and Diaz later became a text-oriented street artist. Today, you'll see his hand in the subway again with his WET PAINT series, which uses individually-cut-out letters to create "clever, surreal and sometimes poignant anagrams." We recently chatted with Al Diaz to get the inside scoop on street art history in New York City, what it was like to work with Basquiat, and how he and his art work are much more than a shadow of his famous friend.
Read the full interview here
February 2, 2015

What Would Happen if New York Let Everyone Ride the Subway for Free?

With the MTA fare hike just over the horizon, the question of whether or not all of New York has fair access to affordable public transportation comes into play. The hike, effective March 22nd, will push the cost to $2.75 per ride and $116.50 for a 30-day MetroCard, an increase of a quarter and $4.50, respectively. Like New York, cities across the globe are struggling with the same issue, but there are more than a handful of rogue riders in each taking matters into their own hands. About 500 riders in Stockholm have banded together to create Planka.nu (translation: "Dodge the fare now"), a scheme that has members pay $12 in monthly dues (an unlimited ride pass for 30 days costs about $120) which results in a cash reserve that can more than cover any fines that a member may occur. While illegal, the actions of these few scamps shed light on one important policy that's already being taken on by cities across the U.S.: subsidies. As noted in a recent article by The Atlantic, in the U.S., where government subsidies cover between 57 and 89 percent of operating costs for buses and 29 to 89 percent of those for rail, many public transit systems are quite affordable, costing in most cases less than $2, on average. So they ask, why not make the whole system free?
Is free transportation in New York unthinkable?
February 27, 2025

Fair Fare riders can now tap-and-go on public transit with OMNY

New Yorkers enrolled in the city's half-priced transit fare program can now ditch their MetroCards and tap-and-go with ease. City officials on Wednesday announced that Fair Fares program participants can now order tap-and-go OMNY cards, offering half-off fare rates without the need to swipe. Enrollees will automatically be issued a discounted OMNY card, and those that are already in the program can request one through the city's website.
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September 9, 2024

Archtober 2024: Your guide to this year’s celebration of architecture and design

Archtober, New York City's annual fall festival celebrating all things architecture and design, is once again upon us. The festival, in its 14th year, will run from October 1 through October 31, with more than 100 partners and sponsors and over 400 events city-wide. This year's theme, "Tracing the Future," focuses on the city's changing landscape in the context of affordable housing, sustainable design, infrastructure, and more. The festival offers a chance to attend events, exhibitions, and talks, join neighborhood tours across the five boroughs, and become more deeply acquainted with New York City's singular architecture and design contributions to history–and the future.
things to see and do during Archtober, this way