For January we are going to try a different format – “Top 10 Corona Culture” – updated info and video especially suited to these difficult times OR NYC related visual info (Instagram and YouTube) OR all the NYC news you need to start your day.

We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here.

Today it’s Top 10 NYC Corona Culture. NEW STUFF!

1. What’s Open in NYC | The Official Guide to New York City – nycgo.com

“Businesses across all five boroughs are working toward a common goal: to welcome back guests, employees and the community at large while ensuring everyone’s health and safety. Use this hub as a starting point for what’s open right now or opening soon, and make sure to follow up directly with any venue to confirm hours and protocols before you visit.”

“Nicolas Cage hosts the history of swearing. Lorde writes a book and Julie Mehretu takes over the Whitney. This new year has to be better, right?”

3. Your Concise New York Art Guide for January 2021 – hyperallergic.com

“Your list of must-see, fun, insightful, and very New York art events this month.

New year, new energy, right? Regardless of how many resolutions you’ve managed to stick to (or have perhaps wisely given yourself a break on), finding more ways to immerse yourself in art is always a worthy goal. This month, we highlight 10 more exhibitions to break up those gloomy wintery days, including plenty of vivid abstraction, sharp photography, and various smartly curated group shows, many of which are available online or by appointment.”

4. How to to get a rapid COVID test in NYC – nyc.gov

“You can now make an appointment for a free rapid COVID-19 virus test at the Health Department’s COVID Express sites throughout the city. Test results are available within 24 hours or less of your visit. This means that most patients will receive their test results on the same day as their visit. All tests performed at these sites are PCR-based laboratory diagnostic tests, which are the most accurate type of test available.”

5. Everywhere You Should Be Eating Vegan and Vegetarian Food in NYC – thrillist

17 go-to spots for meatless eats.

“New York City is on the cutting edge of all things culinary, so it’s no surprise that plant-based eateries have been a fixture in the city for decades. In fact, restaurants like Candle Cafe, Dojo, Angelica Kitchen (RIP) and many more transformed meatless diets into a lifestyle to aspire to as early as the 1970s. While vegetarian and vegan eateries have continued to proliferate since then, one exciting newish trend is the introduction of plant-based options within the fast-casual space (e.g., Taim, by CHLOE, et al.) offering affordable and quickly prepared items that make it that much easier for New Yorkers to go meat-free.”

“Sanford Biggers, Félix Fénéon and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s history of itself”

7. The 25 best cheap eats in NYC – TONY

“Eat for $10 or less at the best restaurants with cheap eats in NYC

The hefty prices at many New York restaurants can at times make the dining scene feel like it’s only for the elite. But some of the best restaurants in NYC still serve affordable bites for $10 or less. Dining on a budget in New York doesn’t have to feel like a constraint with our picks for jerk chicken, Sicilian-style pizza, creative veggie burgers, underground buffets, Cuban bakeries and more.”

UPDATE, October 29 2020: Dining out in New York City has never been so different than this year and it’s not only because restaurants had to shut down their dining rooms for more than six months. The current crisis has put a renewed focus on more affordable food options, whether you’re scarfing down tacos from a food truck or ordering dumplings from a mom-and-pop business in Chinatown. At Time Out New York, we’ve done the homework for you in discovering dishes, old and new, that are all $10 or under. 

8. -85 NYC restaurants with heaters for outdoor dining – 6sqft

“Though indoor dining is permitted at 25-percent capacity in New York City, a lot of people still don’t feel 100-percent comfortable with the idea. Luckily, the city made its outdoor dining program permanent and year-round and gave restaurants the go-ahead to install outdoor heat lamps. If you’re looking for one of these spots to dine al fresco without shivering, we’ve begun a running list throughout the city.”

“For the cosmetics mogul and philanthropist Leonard Lauder, the city, with its museums, public transit and parks, is an explorer’s delight.”

“Get to a nearby park and get in shape (safely).”

Bonus#2: When the Bronx was a Forest: Stroll Through the Centuries – NYT

“Yankee Stadium was the site of a salt marsh. Concourse Plaza was a valley. Our critic walks with Eric Sanderson, a conservation ecologist.”

We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here December 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info. 

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Stay home for a bit more – Mask up and stay safe