For February 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. Your Concise New York Art Guide for February 2021 – hyperallergic.com

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

It’s February, and groundhog mumbles aside, we’re one month closer to sunshine and longer days. To break up some of the winter slush, we’ve rounded up 10 art events worth checking out — from exhibitions, to film series, to book fairs and interdisciplinary projects — many of which are available online.”

==============================================================

2. Best Things to do in NYC This Week – TONY

Here are 3 more ideas:

g. Ghost Bar
News Drinking

Ghost Bar is a new online cocktail bar that delivers perfectly crafted mixed drinks directly to Manhattanites’ doorstep. (They’re looking to expand their delivery range in the near future but are currently delivering to addresses below 66th St.) The service offers a wide range of options from classic cocktails like the Last Word and Sazerac to playful new concoctions like the Longest Island, a twist on a Long Island with Baijiu and complex flavors, and the Dragon Fruit Daiquiri.

h. Elsewhere Sound Space
Music Music venues Online, Feb 23 2021-Jun 24 2021

Elsewhere is bringing back live performances via Twitch so everyone can tune into its new monthly series, “Elsewhere Sound Space.” Hosted by trans comedian and actor Peter Smith, the episodic series will feature new musical guests and live performances from New York City’s underground music and arts scene each month, starting with Princess Nokia on January 28, Starchild & The New Romantic on February 23, Paperboy Prince on March 23, and others on April 27, May 25 and June 24. The premise of the whole series is out of this world—it’s a continuing story that follows the sci-fi misadventures of a music deity marooned in space and their curious cultural dispatches back to Earth. Peter Smith will be broadcasting live from the “Astral Spa & Sound Bath” while on a “chilled-out mission to bring the joy and community of live music to Earthlings, who are in their most quarantined and isolated state.” Twitch audience members can expect comedic skits, psychedelic musical performances, candid artist interviews and holistic wellness treatments.

i. Restaurant Week To Go
News Eating

In happier 2021 news, one of our favorite local traditions is back. NYC & Company’s NYC Restaurant Week returns this winter in a special new format: Running from January 25-31 (with an optional extension from February 1-7), Restaurant Week To Go will focus on great takeout and delivery options across all five boroughs. Local restaurants are invited to participate cost-free in the program, which will highlight a broad range of venues, from fine-dining stalwarts to casual pop-in spots. Participating restos like Gramercy Tavern, RedFarm, and Bar Boulud have already been announced. Each eatery will offer an entrée with at least one side dish for lunch or dinner at $20.21 a meal, to commemorate the new year. (Note: Tax, delivery fees and gratuity are not included in the meal price.) MasterCard holders have an extra incentive: The company is sponsoring the program, so diners who use their MasterCard will receive a $10 rebate for all orders.

There are many more right HERE at Time Out New York

==========================================================

3. The 25 best cheap eats in NYC – TONY

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

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. 

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.”

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

“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?”

6. 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.”

7. 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.”

8. Three ‘astonishing’ works of art are inside the new Moynihan Train Hall – TONY

The Public Art Fund says they’ll ‘stop us in our tracks’ “In true New York style, the new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, which opens Friday, has been decked out with incredible art.

Penn Station’s $1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall features a spacious, light-filled atrium with a 92-foot-high glass skylight and soaring ceilings honoring the design of the original Penn Station, but as with any new transit hub, whether it’s a new subway station, airport terminal or a passenger hall like this one, New York calls on its amazing artists to decorate the walls, halls and floors and inspire travelers passing by.”

9. Nightly Opera Streams, February 1-7 – metopera.org

10. -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 March 1, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info. 

==========================================================

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