Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.

Covid-19 has required some changes. First of all, some very important information:

“There are multiple websites, disappearing slots and even attempts to game the system. Here’s our guide to what you have to do to get a dose in your arm.”

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

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 11 NYC Corona Culture. NEW STUFF!

“This week, celebrate Presidents’ Day, tune in to a discussion between two members of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and try a new recipe for Mardi Gras.”

“This redesigned exhibit is going to rock!

The American Museum of Natural History just announced that The Allison and Roberto Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals will finally be reopening on February 17, 2021. The hall has been part of the museum since the ’70s, and closed in 2017 to be redesigned as one of the New York icon’s 150th anniversary projects. It was originally supposed to open this fall, but because of the pandemic, it got moved to winter of 2021.”

“Goya, Caravaggio, Rubens, Velázquez and more are in skylit splendor in the European galleries. And the museum is acknowledging the shaping force on art of colonialism, slavery, the disenfranchisement of women.”

4. -38 Standout Dining Destinations in New York City, Winter 2020 – EaterNY

“From quirky Chinese hot pot in Flushing to splurge-worthy sushi, here’s where to eat in NYC right now”

5. The Metropolitan Opera is streaming free productions every night – TONY

The Met continues to share a different lineup of complete operas from its archives every week

“The Metropolitan Opera has closed its doors though at least September 2021, but the great New York opera house continues to lift the spirits of opera lovers around the world with free nightly streams of complete productions from its archives. Most of the offerings were originally recorded with multiple cameras in high definition to be shown in movie theaters as part of the company’s popular Live in HD series.

Each opera goes live on the Met’s website at 7:30pm EST (12:30am GMT) and remains there until 6:30pm EST the next evening. The operas can also be viewed with the Met Opera on Demand app on various devices.”

Nightly Opera Streams, February 15–21

Franco Zeffirelli Week

“This week of free streams celebrates Franco Zeffirelli, the Italian director and designer whose grand, historically informed, and intricately detailed productions have delighted generations of operagoers. Explore the articles and resources below to expand your knowledge and enhance your experience as you enjoy the screenings. A full schedule for the week is available at the bottom of this page.”

6. Indoor dining to resume at 25% capacity on Feb. 14: Gov – amNY

“Now you have no excuse not to have a date this Valentine’s Day.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York City restaurants will resume indoor dining at 25% capacity on Feb. 14, citing the city’s dropping infection rate and stating with confidence that positive tests will continue to fall.”

7. NYC’s Record-Breaking Restaurant Week To Go Extended Through February – ny.eater.com

The $20.21 meal deals will stick around through February 28

“NYC Restaurant Week To Go — the takeout and delivery-focused version of the city’s long-running, semiannual Restaurant Week — has officially been extended for three more weeks, following a successful first run this week with an unprecedented amount of participating restaurants.

Originally, Restaurant Week To Go debuted on January 25 and was slated to run through January 31, with the option for participating restaurants to extend their promotional $20.21 menus through February 7. Now, according to NYC & Company, the city’s tourism office and host of Restaurant Week, the program has been extended through February 28.

Nearly 600 restaurants — including Middle Eastern favorite Tanoreen, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe, and Michelin-starred New Zealand spot the Musket Room — are currently participating in Restaurant Week To Go, shattering the old record of participants taking part in the popular dining program. According to Chris Heywood, the executive vice president for global communications at NYC & Company, 92 percent of the restaurants that were a part of the initial record-breaking week have signed on to keep participating in the program.”

8. Penn Station’s $1.6 Billion Expansion Is Finally Complete…And It’s Absolutely Stunning – secretnyc.co

“On January 1, the gigantic new Moynihan Train Hall officially opened to the public.

Governor Cuomo announced the grand opening earlier in the week, and New Yorkers have been making their way to see the stunning completed $1.6 billion project ever since.

The brand new train hall is 255,000 square feet, in the former over-100-year-old James A. Farley Building, once the main United States Postal Service building. The new hall has been named after U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and will increase Penn Station’s current concourse by a whopping 50 percent. There is also a newly completed East End Gateway at 33rd St. and 7th Ave. that opened on New Year’s Eve.”

9. NYC Restaurant Headline Predictions for 2021 – EaterNY

What’s in store for restaurants next year?

“Welcome to Year in Eater 2020, Eater’s annual ritual of eulogizing the past 12 months. In 2020’s final days, Eater NY will be posting questions about New York City’s restaurant scene in the past year, with answers from food writers, photographers, chefs, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, and even a few local legislators who helped to support the industry through this enormously difficult year. Now, we ask: What are your headline predictions for 2021?”

“Sanford Biggers, Félix Fénéon and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s history of itself are some of the exhibitions that remain open to the public.”

11. Put these activities on your NYC winter bucket list

“We have a NYC winter bucket list ready for your family! Whether you are looking for a snowy day adventure or plan to stay cozy indoors, we have you covered with activities and new openings coming to NYC during these chillier months.” (amNY)

bonus#1:  Carnegie Hall and the Jewels of Midtown: Stroll the History – NYT

“Our critic chats about the beloved stretch from the music hall to Lincoln Center around Central Park with the architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.”

bonus#2: A Walk Through Harlem, New York’s Most Storied Neighborhood – The New York Times

“Our critic chats with the architect David Adjaye about Hotel Theresa, Marcus Garvey Park, the home of Langston Hughes, the Y.M.C.A. and other landmarks.”

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 a bit longer – Mask up, stay smart and stay safe