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 has required some changes.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
Zero Otto Nove has been a mainstay of the Bronx’s Little Italy since it opened in 2008. But Open Streets’ weekend transformation of Arthur Avenue into the car-free Piazza di Belmont has brought a fresh and breezy feel to this first-rate southern Italian trattoria. Previously, restaurants along the strip rarely set up for outdoor dining, confining the festivities to the often-curtained dining rooms. Now and hopefully forever, the celebratory and communal open-air atmosphere brings the action (and all the neighborhood characters) outdoors, where diners partake in lively people-watching while enjoying dishes like citrusy seafood salad, butternut-squash pizza, and mafalde cooked in tinfoil.—Terri Ciccone
There are many good reasons to revisit Manhattan’s Chinatown these days. But if you’re in the mood for a quick Peking-duck banquet or a taste of Shorty Tang’s famous dry-sautéed crispy beef in a crowded, near-celebratory post-pandemic atmosphere, this East Broadway destination is the place to be. When we dropped in on a Friday evening not long ago, the streets outside were still eerily empty, and so were the dining booths set up on the sidewalk. But inside the brightly lit two-floor restaurant, parties of revelers from uptown, across the river, and around the neighborhood filled the round tables. For those acclimated to dining in the great indoors, we guarantee a bite of Peking duck (or crispy beef) never tasted so good.—A.P.41
At Mark’s, which opened in November, the Queens-born chef Mark Strausman (Freds at Barneys, Coco Pazzo, Campagna) delves into the Jewish and Italian dishes that have come to define his 30-year career: lush eggplant parm, rich pappardelle with brisket ragù, and a killer chicken soup named after his grandmother Estelle. In nice weather, the outdoor terrace, with its view of Madison Square Park, gets fairly packed with a tony mix of locals and Strausman groupies from his Freds days. On weekends, starting at 9 a.m., the place doubles as a Jewish bakery whose bagels and bialys and black-and-white cookies put most of the competition to shame. —R.C.S.
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 has required some changes.
“Forget about the solstice, come June 1st New York summer has practically begun!
Though summer officially begins at the end of June, there are already plenty of warm weather activities already taking place. Not to mention, it’s Pride Month! So get ready for a fun-filled June, packed with plenty of fantastic events that will be popping up all month long.”
Here are 70 spectacular things to do.
Visit Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Experience a little taste of Italy at NYC’s exclusive “Brunello Week”
Listen to enchanting music by candlelight in beautiful NYC spaces
Show your Pride at the Pride March
Put your baking skills to the test with Nailed It! at home bake off
See the new Hall of Gems and Minerals at the Natural History Museum
Immerse yourself in a dazzling, multi-sensory experience
Visit NYC’s first-ever floating park ‘Little Island’
Transport to Paris with this Moulin Rouge-era outdoor show in the Village
See a concert at Bryant Park
Grab your tickets to the new multisensory exhibit on infamous British street artist Banksy
Swim at Time Square’s only outdoor pool
Experience an audio immersive theatrical experience of ‘I Couldn’t Tell You Why’
Celebrate World Bicycle Day (June 3rd)
Hop Aboard NYC’s first-ever floating Mexican restaurant
Get brunch with friends
Roller skate at JFK Airport
Do something special for dad on Father’s Day
19-40. Take in skyline views at these stunning rooftops
Enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the new flagship store
Sip on Butterbeer just like Harry and his friends
Relax at new wellness spa on Governors Island
Taste international fare at outdoor food markets
Lounge at ‘The Green’ at Lincoln Center
46-60. Enjoy happy hour with friends
Stand next to the 25-foot tall bronze sculpture taking over Rockefeller Center
Order dumplings around the clock
Catch Lady Liberty napping in Morningside Park
Get your tan on at the beach!
Read up on Juneteenth
Hit up Coney Island’s Luna Park
Kayak for free at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Play arcade games at the entirely pink bubble tea shop in Queens
Watch a movie at Astoria Park Lawn
Try NYC fine dining icon Eleven Madison Park’s new 100% vegan menu
Secret New York City is one of the finest online guides to things to do and see in NYC. From the best restaurants, to fascinating museums, this site will help you discover amazing new places and create some beautiful memories along the way.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
Quick-serve grain-bowl spots don’t typically attract bustling social scenes. Not so this Chinese-inspired rice-bowl specialist, whose customers like to gather as much as they do grab and go. On a recent weekday evening, the restaurant’s breezy curbside shed drew a practically rowdy group of bowl aficionados: young women in NYU Dental School scrubs letting off steam, two skate punks hogging four seats, and, in a sure sign of the return to normality, rival parties aggressively eyeing a table whose occupants kept looking like they were about to bolt but never did. On weekends, we hear, things get even crazier. Chalk it up to an elegant-for-fast-casual design; cozy indoor booths; a short but sweet list of wine, beer, and sake; and chef Connie Chung’s savor-worthy cooking, especially her Yunnan brisket bowl — sticky, ripply, caramelized nuggets of meat candy with perfect rice and marinated cucumbers. —R.P. & R.R.
International destination dining took a long hiatus during the pandemic, but Chintan Pandya’s homage to the regional culinary traditions of India, which opened recently at the new Essex Market, is packed these days with mobs of gastronauts from around the city. The space inside is strung with colored lights and includes an increasingly crowded, lively bar, but if you wish to feel the full heat of the fresh, made-to-order cooking, we suggest you secure a table within the sidewalk enclosure, where there’s more space to spread out. Order a round of Brooklyn’s fine, Indian American–owned 1947 beer, then begin merrily working your way through the menu, which is filled with dishes that even the most knowledgeable food scholars from India may not have tried, like pots of Bihari-style mutton infused with garlic and crunchy-topped biryani folded with bits of chopped goat’s neck. —A.P.
With its pink neon sign, piano for live jazz, and bamboo placemats, this subterranean spot on the border of Elmhurst and Jackson Heights feels more like an artsy friend’s basement than an austere sushi counter. The $89 15-course omakase — including Hokkaido scallops, fatty tuna, and lobes of uni one recent night, among other pristine morsels — is exactly the sort of meal one should experience in person. While the sushi is top-notch, it’s chef Atip “Palm” Tangjantuk’s ability to turn a hushed culinary ritual into what feels like a fun night at a piano bar that makes the place so special. If you’re lucky, you may even be handed a blowtorch to sear your own fish.—B.O.
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 has required some changes.
“Soak up the sun as well as our list of recommendations for the best things to do during summer in New York By Shaye Weaver and Krista Diamond
“This summer in NYC promises to be an unforgettable one now that our city is back up. The city has a boundless energy once the heat cranks up, and doubly so this year, so it’s time to start checking off our sensational list of things to do in summer in NYC. Some of the most popular New York attractions provide an endless list of things to do outside from rooftop movies and free dance parties to can’t-miss music festivals and more. Here’s how to make the absolute most of these steamy summer nights.
Tip: You may want to request off for a few staycation days too so you can spend some time relaxing at a few rooftop pools during the week when they’re less crowded.”
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
You see traces of far-west Spring Street’s past at the still-swinging Ear Inn and symbols of its future in the luxury apartment towers that have sprouted along Renwick and Greenwich Streets. Coco Pazzeria, with its raw bar and sparkling-wine list (liquor license pending), is the perfect pizzeria for this newly ritzy part of town, if the steady flow of neighbors stopping in for takeout orders is any indication. But thanks to the reputation of owner Pino Luongo and the presence of homegrown pizzaiolo Ciro Verdi, who can be seen slinging thin-crust pies and his trademark focaccia robiola at his oven in back, the restaurant also attracts couples on dates, travelers from other Zip Codes arriving on fancy folding bikes, and young families taking full advantage of the BYO policy (a must when your dining companions are an infant, a toddler, and a juvenile-delinquent tween). The menu extends to pastas and salads, but dough is the thing, fried into mini-calzones or formed into loaves for sandwiches, including a recent lobster-roll special. —R.P. & R.R.
This airy greek restaurant opened in 2018 on a rather unfavorable Upper West Side side street, facing a soon-to-be construction site, at a remove from the buzzier stretches of Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues. But when COVID hit, Eléa was one of the first places in the neighborhood to build a beautiful, greenery-draped outdoor seating area, complete with inviting flowers, twinkly lights, and copious heat lamps. The kitchen didn’t miss a beat, turning out zesty shareable small plates like fried-zucchini “chips” and sesame-crusted feta. Now, Eléa has blossomed into a local go-to for date nights and other special occasions — the kinds of dining excursions that feel more celebratory than ever. —Ellie Krupnick
This Vietnamese restaurant smack in the middle of prime Bedford Avenue opened just before the pandemic and managed to soldier on throughout thanks to its backyard — small and slightly suburban-feeling with its wooden fence and strings of tiny lights. Pots of herbs grown on the restaurant’s farm in Pennsylvania line that yard; sometimes a cook will wander out and clip a fragrant betel leaf or a sprig of rice-paddy herb. It’s the ideal setting to enjoy chef Matt Le-Khac’s neo-traditional Vietnamese dishes, such as an unusual pho topped with coarsely ground beef and a vegetarian bun bo Hue chay made with mushrooms as opposed to the customary pig’s blood. —R.C.S.
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 has required some changes.
“The quality and quantity of free events, free things to do that take place in New York City every day of the year is truly amazing. So don’t miss the opportunities that only New York provides: stop wondering what to do; start taking advantage of free things to do, free events to go to in NYC today!”
Join Club Free Time – I did, and it’s one of the best things I ever did. Here is a sample of FREE events this week. Get more information by going to the Club Free Time website.
Mon, Jun 21 – 2:00 pm / free Concert | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) A Mix of Jazz, Classical and Folk Music Saxophonist Gottfried Stöger’s ensemble DreamHunter performs an eclectic mix of jazz, classical … more
Mon, Jun 21 – 4:00 pm / free; no reservation required Concert | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Paris on the Hudson Paris on the Hudson is the culminating event of Third Street’s new music festival, 20/21 Vision cele … more
Mon, Jun 21 – 6:00 pm / free; no reservation required Concert | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Hazmat Modine: Honky Tonk Meets Klezmer Hazmat Modine’s music tips its hat to New Orleans-style honky-tonk with dashes of klezmer and gritty … more
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Tue, Jun 22 – 9:00 am / free, donations welcome Performance | (IN-PERSON) Aerialists and Acrobats: Works-in-Progress and Show-Ready Acts Professional circus performers showcasing training and creative process as well as rehearsals of wor … more
Tue, Jun 22 – 6:00 pm / free, registration required Dance Lesson | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Afro Peruvian Festejo Enjoy an outdoor dance class. Each Tue through July, participants will learn a new dance style. Chec … more
Tue, Jun 22 – 7:30 pm / free Opera | Met Opera: Dvorak’s Rusalka (virtual, streaming for 23 hours) In Mary Zimmerman’s production starring soprano Kristine Opolais, this classic tale of a water sprit … more
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Wed, Jun 23 – 5:30 pm / free; RSVP required Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Japanese Sword Lessons The New York Budo Association teaches the art of traditional Japanese Sword, specifically Ryushin Sh … more
Wed, Jun 23 – 8:00 pm / free; RSVP required Performance | Audience: Vaclav Havel’s Play — With Puppets The presented Audience is a Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre version of Vaclav Have … more
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Thu, Jun 24 – 12:00 pm / free, RSVP required Museums | (IN-PERSON) Tiffany Glass and Other Exhibitions The collection of Tiffany’s leaded glass includes an extraordinary array of floral and geometric lam … more
Thu, Jun 24 – 1:15 pm / free Classical Music | Popular Consorts, Songs, and Dances from the Elizabethan and Jacobean Periods in Great Britain (virtual) The Violators, a renegade consort of viols, recorders, voices, and “air viol” (aka English concertin … more
Thu, Jun 24 – 7:00 pm / free; RSVP required Play | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) King Lear — with a Happy Ending This version of King Lear by William Shakespeare will employ Nahum Tate’s 1681 “happy endin … more
Friday, June 25, 2021
Fri, Jun 25 – 11:00 am / free, registration required Museums | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Historic 1885 Ship and History Exhibition Wavertree is a historic iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1885, now the largest wrought iro … more
Fri, Jun 25 – 2:00 pm / free Screening | Leonard Bernstein’s The Gift of Music: Footage from the Archives and Early Television Ventures (virtual) Throughout his career, Leonard Bernstein made more than 400 appearances at Carnegie Hall, beginning … more
Fri, Jun 25 – 3:00 pm / free; RSVP required Performance | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) June Rites!!: An Hour of Stunning Live Performance After more than a year of isolation, Waterwell invites you to join your fellow New Yorkers for a sum … more
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
It’s one thing to offer a $335 meat-free menu for the one percent (see Eleven Madison Park 2.0). It’s another to charge $10 and under for veggie-centric Chinese food for everyone: the curious carnivores, the certified vegans, and the dedicated superfans like Deborah from the Upper West Side, who loves the food and the vibe so much she literally hiked down the West Side Highway from 88th Street to Broome and Orchard one recent Saturday afternoon just to tuck in to paper-boatloads of chewy rice rolls topped with gai lan and juicy bok choy showered with crispy fried garlic. We know she did this because Fat Choy is the kind of place where diners who have navigated the scrum of Lower East Side streeteries — bars, vegan-cupcake shops, more bars — start conversations with strangers to recommend dishes, offer bites, and generally share communal moments of vibrantly flavored, inventively conceived culinary bliss. —Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld
This elegant Greenwich Village establishment has flown so far under the radar that many regulars (ourselves included) were afraid it would close forever when disaster struck. Miraculously, unlike with the still-shuttered Gotham Bar & Grill across the street, the opposite has happened. Owner Catherine Manning fitted the space out back with tables and little enclosed “garden rooms” that have become a hit during the outdoor-dining craze. The Sazeracs we enjoyed on a recent summery evening were exceptional, and you can also addle yourself with $9 cocktails during the new happy hour. The talented young chef Tyler Heckman (Ferris, Le Turtle) took over the kitchen last fall, and he’s slowly added the kind of variety and style to the aggressively seasonal menu (braised spring lamb on our visit, white-asparagus velouté, gnocchi with escargot) that threatens to turn this sleepy local favorite into a proper big-city dining destination. —Adam Platt
Sample the Latest Fusion Cuisine on New York’s Original Open Street
Long before 2020 brought alfresco eating to every corner of our city, Stone Street was a pedestrian paradise, and it still is, a cobblestoned car-free wonderland for outdoor pints, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. The Migrant Kitchen, which opened last fall, brings Middle Eastern–Latin fusion to this Fidi pub-grub zone. Owner Nasser Jaber, who operates out of the Dubliner bar’s kitchen, sends out sumac-butter-slicked fried-chicken-and-falafel waffles, mariquitas (fried plantain chips) nachos, and pastelon mahshi, a Dominican-style maduros-and-beef riff on the traditional Palestinian stuffed gourd. And since many office workers are still Zooming in from home, Stone Street feels distinctly chiller and less suits-y these days. —Ryan P. Sutton
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 has required some changes.
“Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top events include the Caramoor Summer 2021 Schedule, The First Light from Darkness, ALMA ALLEN and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.”
This year, the Tribeca Festival celebrates the diverse artistry and richness of Black stories and storytellers. In partnership with “Indeed and Emmy Award-winning writer, creator and actor Lena Waithe,” they have put together a program that amplifies Black voices through exciting new shorts. They also have a specially-curated collection of feature and short films, Tribeca Talks, Immersive, podcasts, music and other special events. The Juneteenth celebration is here! Their exciting programming culminates on June 19th …
Pakistani American artist Shahzia Sikander is internationally celebrated for bringing Indo-Persian miniature-painting traditions into dialogue with contemporary art practice. This exhibition tracks the first fifteen years of this artistic journey, from her groundbreaking deconstruction of miniature painting in Pakistan to the development of a new personal vocabulary at RISD, expanded explorations around identity as a Core fellow at the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and her global outlook during …
Caramoor is thrilled to present a full summer season of 35 live, in-person performances this year, with an intensive seven-week festival (June 19–Aug 8) followed by two post-season concert series (Aug 13–Sep 12). All held outdoors on the cultural arts destination’s idyllic Westchester campus, this year’s offerings illustrate its continued commitment to adventurous programming across the genre spectrum, with world premieres of new Caramoor commissions from Saad Haddad and Shodekeh and a new piece by Valerie Coleman; U.S. premieres by Natalie Dietterich, Kate Moore and Hilary Purrington; New York premieres of important new works by Douglas …
Pioneer Works is pleased to announce “The First Light from Darkness,” an exhibition that centers on the seven-decade practice of Alex Harsley. The artist first purchased a 35mm camera while in his 20s, and has since cast New York City’s unique medley of characters and neighborhoods as the subject of his work. In the 1950s, he joined Manhattan’s district attorney office as the first Black photographer to be hired by the city, and taught himself …
Psychologically charged and compulsively expressive, Alma Allen’s works evoke a curiosity regarding the life of objects and the ways in which form and material can circumnavigate the utility of language. Known for his distillation of diverse organic references, the artist’s works simultaneously invite and resist classification. The new exhibition of work spans two Kasmin gallery locations, with the presentation in the Kasmin Sculpture Garden constituting the artist’s first-ever exhibition dedicated to large-scale outdoor sculpture. The exhibition …
“Searching for listings and reviews for the best New York museum exhibitions and shows? We have you covered. By Shaye WeaverTime Out New York
New York City has tons of things going for it, from incredible buildings to breathtaking parks. But surely, the top of the list includes NYC’s vast array of museums, covering every field of culture and knowledge: There are quirky museums and interactive museums, free museums and world-beating art institutions like the Metropolitan Museum. Between them, they offer so many exhibitions, of every variety and taste, that it’s hard to keep track of them. But if you’ve starting to suffer a sudden attack of FOMA, fear not! We’ve got you covered with our select list of the best museum exhibitions in NYC.”
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
We’re happy to report that whatever strange alchemy it was (the warming onion soup, the cheeseburger “à la Americaine,” the spacious sidewalk operation sturdy enough for any blizzard) that elevated this fashionable Stephen Starr–Keith McNally Meatpacking District brasserie into one of the go-to destinations during the dark pandemic months is still very much intact. Like everywhere else around town, the dining room is beginning to fill up again, but the best seat in the house is still outdoors, where the sidewalk between the tables along Gansevoort Street has turned into a kind of promenade for the vibrantly reopened city. There was a jazz trio spinning out New Orleans sounds when we dropped by the other day, and couples walking arm in arm on their way to the High Line or an evening picnic in the park. Any picnic here should include some oysters and the bubbly, shell-less escargot, but be sure to save a little room for the baba au rhum, the nougat glacé, and the rest of the underrated brasserie desserts.—A.P.
Cymande’s “bra” piped through the outdoor jukebox on a recent Friday at the Vietnamese restaurant Di An Di while patrons slurped up brothy vermicelli noodles underneath strings of white lights. Those who arrived after 8:45 p.m. were out of luck, as every table was filled with fashionable young folks in T-shirts and hosts had stopped taking names. Bowls of mi xao bo do bien, firm egg noodles studded with fat slices of squid and shrimp, scented the air with its garlicky perfume. The Before Times menu still hasn’t returned, which means no more rice-paper pizzas for now, but there are newish bánh mì lunch sandwiches stuffed with fried chicken, tofu, or pork belly. And the aromatic shaking beef (bo luc lac), with its wok-seared cubes of medium-rare sirloin and crisp tomato-watercress salad, remains.—R.P.S.
The pandemic was a disaster for everyone, but few felt the old “defeat snatched from the jaws of victory” moment more keenly than chef-owner Ryan Bartlow, who had to close this elegant little Basque-themed bar operation just as the buzz for its special brand of convivial tapas-style cooking was building. The bare-bones staff managed to survive on PPP checks and a pickup menu until early summer, before throwing open the floor-to-ceiling windows and filling the sidewalk with rows of tables, which, on a warm night, as the evening light filters through the leafy trees across the street, can feel a little like an outdoor café in San Sebastián. These days, the long, dinner-friendly bar is humming again, and with the first-rate drinks program (try the vermut and tonic), a roster of expertly rendered Spanish classics (the croquettes, the morcilla, the tortilla española), and a peaceful, unhurried vibe, there are, for our money, few more-enjoyable indoor-outdoor-dining options in town.—A.P.
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 has required some changes.
8 Actually Fun Things to Do in New York This Weekend
Festivals citywide make this weekend extra awesome.
“It’s official: NYC has finally reopened! After the city reached a milestone adult vaccination rate of 70% this week, Governor Cuomo announced the end of the COVID restrictions that have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic. That means goodbye to six feet of social distancing and back to full-capacity restaurants and bars (dance party anyone?).
On top of the city reopening, there is much to celebrate this weekend, whether it’s dear old dad or citywide Juneteenth events. And while we have plenty of suggestions for both of those, there are also chocolate cakes to eat, vegan menus to sample, and early morning yoga classes in Times Square to welcome the solstice. Read on for eight actually fun things to do, eat, and see in New York this weekend.”
Weekend-long Flatiron As one of the most famous restaurants in the world, whatever Eleven Madison Park does always makes headlines. But their latest pivot, to a totally plant-based menu, raised more than a few eyebrows. Luckily, even without dairy and meat, EMP continues to amaze diners with its innovative preparations and spectacular service. The new menu includes seasonal dishes like a summer squash with lemongrass and marinated tofu, and cucumber with melon and smoked daikon. And while the price tag is hefty, the restaurant is donating five meals to New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity through Rethink Food. Cost: $175 for a six-course bar menu; $335 for the tasting menu
Weekend-long Williamsburg We’re calling it now: Chinese-Jamaican fusion cuisine is officially our new favorite mashup. Try it for yourself at chef Andre Fowles (Miss Lily’s) pop-up at the Williamsburg location of Kings Co. Imperial. Fowles’ menu, which he created in concert with chefs Josh Grinker and Tracy Young, includes everything from shrimp dumplings served with Jamaican-style curry and cinnamon red oil; to large-format entrees like “hot peppa” lobster lo mein, topped with a fiery Scotch bonnet-scallion pesto. Cost: Entrees from $23
Weekend-long West Village Some of this summer’s prettiest cuisine is coming out of the kitchen at YUCO, which opened in the West Village this week. Helmed by chef Christian Ortiz and restaurateur Trent Walker, the menu here features traditional Yucatan ingredients—think pork pibil or chicken tamal—with a dose of French technique and molecular gastronomy. The wine list should also not be missed: its goal is to provide diners with some of the buzziest and rarest wines in the country, all at prices about half of other fine-dining restaurants. Cost: Entrees from $29
Weekend-long Various locations If you’ve never tried one of Lady M’s ethereal, multi-layered cakes, now is an excellent weekend to do so. The bakery is launching a decadent (even for them) collaboration with IWAI Tradition whisky: a chocolate sponge cake layered with dark and milk chocolate whiskey mousse, and whisky jelly. And, if you’re wondering if it’s really boozy enough: you have to show ID to purchase this confection. Make sure to share with friends; the rich cake serves 10 – 14 people. Cost: $125
Celebrate Juneteenth with events across the city
Saturday, July 19 Various locations Juneteenth events and celebrations continue to increase in prominence every year and we couldn’t be happier. This weekend, explore Black Beyond’s _origins, an ode to Black femme, womxn, and gender non-conforming culture, through their four-day virtual festival of workshops, talks, and performances. Meanwhile, in Downtown Brooklyn, the Black Creatives and Culture Market will feature a marketplace with over 40 BIPOC brands, live musical performances, and cultural conversations. If dance is your creative outlet, make sure you sign up for Ailey Extension’s free West African class. The 75-minute session will teach students the basics of the form along with a dive into West African culture. And for live music lovers, head to the main floor of the World Trade Center’s Oculus at 1 pm, when The Unsung Collective will perform four pieces of classical music by Black composers. Cost: Free
Saturday, June 19, 4 pm-Midnight Flushing Meadows-Corona Park As all food-loving New Yorkers know, summertime means the return of a bevy of outdoor markets. And we’ve been waiting very patiently for the reopening of one of our favorites: Queens Night Market. The weekly festival kicks off this Saturday, with live music performances, dozens of art vendors, and, of course, eats from every corner of the globe. Nearly fifty vendors will be serving everything from Malaysian-style grilled lobsters to Tibetan momos to Oaxacan tacos, plus desserts like pie-crust cookies, Haitian chocolates, and Romanian-Hungarian chimney cake. One piece of advice: go hungry. Cost: $5 per ticket; food costs vary
Spoil your dad on his special day
Sunday, June 20 Various locations We’re sure all your dad wants is to spend time with you, but we think you can get a little more creative than that. If he’s a whiskey fan, make a reservation at Fiddlesticks for their Teeling Whiskey Father’s Day Celebration. Not only will there be specialty cocktails for the holiday, but everyone will receive complimentary, personalized leather coasters. If he’s into Nic Cage (who isn’t?), bring him to Grand Army Bar, where the entire summer cocktail menu has been redesigned in honor of everyone’s favorite action hero. Don’t miss the “Face/Off,” made with “Travolta’s favorite Pimm’s Cup.” And, for the film buffs, treat him to a private night at the theater. Walker Hotel Tribeca’s Walker Watch Party gives guests access to a screening suite, a “movie concierge” to help pick the ideal film, and tons of snacks from Dylan’s Candy Bar. Cost: Varies
Sunday, June 20 Times Square The middle of Manhattan may not seem like the ideal place for your yoga practice, but we’ve seen weirder things this year, right? This Sunday morning, starting at 7:30 am, the Times Square Alliance will host Solstice in Times Square: Mind over Madness Yoga. Events include seven free yoga sessions right in the heart of New York’s iconic landmark, plus Yoga Village, which will have yoga-focused activities, giveaways, and more. Cost: Free, but donations welcome
Thrillist, a site with tons of food, drink, travel & entertainment info, introduces folks to the coolest things to do in NYC (and other places when you are traveling). I like to check them out regularly. You should, too.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
When this terrific Hunan restaurant opened last year just down the street from Trump Tower, the owners had trouble attracting customers because security arrangements limited access to the block. But true fans of Hunan cuisine — which can be just as spicy as Sichuan, with a broader array of sharp flavors — have a way of sniffing out talent and overcoming obstacles in their path, and Blue Willow gradually became a word-of-mouth hit, especially among Chinese Americans. Now, with the barriers gone, the restaurant draws diners looking for dishes like house-smoked Hunan bacon (thick swatches of pork belly stir-fried with cloves of garlic) and “snow red greens” (minced mustard greens riddled with pickled red chiles). —R.C.S.
It’s clear while sitting at Thai Diner’s packed outdoor setup on Mott and Kenmare that Nolita, a reliably bustling corner of the city that felt eerily quiet throughout the past year, is very much alive these days. At this, Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s latest spot, they’re serving Uncle Boons (RIP) favorites, such as khao soi and crab fried rice, alongside cheeseburgers, fried-chicken sandwiches, and Thai disco fries smothered in curry sauce, which we recommend pairing with a notably strong martini while ogling the ecstatic-to-finally-be-out-and-about passersby. —R.P.S.
The Russian bathhouse isn’t just about cleansing; it’s about restoring and nourishing, which is why the indoor-dining ban hit the banya so hard. You were permitted to sweat it out on Fulton Street, but you couldn’t seek rejuvenation through hot borscht and cold beer. Now, after a few rounds in a sauna set to a screaming 220 degrees, you can once again bring your body back to life in a cafeteria with other dripping-wet patrons wearing very few clothes. Consider filling up on slippery Siberian pelmeni drenched in butter, fried potatoes slicked with enough garlic to qualify as a medicinal supplement, and Georgian lamb soup that will scorch your tongue for days, which means it’s precisely the right temperature.—R.P.S.
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 has required some changes.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
The trapezoidal windows at Teranga have long afforded patrons panoramic vistas of Central Park North, but the city’s embrace of outdoor dining has made Pierre Thiam’s West African–leaning venue even more appealing than before. Now you can snack on kelewele (spicy roast plantains) right at the edge of the park, overlooking the verdant trees while enjoying a warm summer breeze. On a recent Friday, I sat near a pair of diners, one of them relaxing in a jujitsu T-shirt, as I made quick work of a yassa bowl: tender chicken thighs slathered in saucy golden onions. If indoor dining is still quiet here, you’ll never feel alone in the alfresco area. Folks zoom by on hoverboards and messenger bikes, shaved-ice vendors pour polychromatic syrups into snowy cups, and people flood in and out of the park.—R.P.S.
The conga drums are back. Their steady beats spill out onto Eighth Avenue, where outdoor patrons sip minty mojitos on white tablecloths. Although this Hell’s Kitchen Cuban canteen served porky lechon asado and garlicky cassava throughout the pandemic, what was missing for months was the music — the prickly guitars and folksy Caribbean tunes that have made the restaurant an accessible spot for everyday salsa dancing. Ceiling fans spin overhead near the open-air frontage as waiters ferry crisp Cubano sandwiches and some of the city’s finest vaca frita: shredded skirt steak that’s seared until it achieves the texture of soft jerky. —R.P.S.
Airy and sun-drenched, the dining room pulsates with Israeli pop and a steady conversational hum. If you didn’t know better, you would think you’d wandered into some beachside hot spot in Tel Aviv, not a post-pandemic restaurant in the sleepy West 90s. Chef Ari Bokovza’s Levantine-leaning menu looks similar to others across the city. But the familiar mezze and salads take a fun turn with delectable things like shishbarak (Lebanese mushroom-filled dumplings) and kubaneh, the fluffy Yemenite Jewish bread that you pull apart like Parker House rolls. —B.O.
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 has required some changes.
The best things to do in NYC this weekend
“The best things to do in NYC this weekend includes the Juneteenth events, Father’s Day, outdoor shows and more” By Shaye Weaver / Time Out New York
“Looking for the best things to do in NYC this weekend? Whether you’re the group planner searching for more things to do in NYC today, or you have no plans yet, here are some ideas to add to your list for this beautiful summer weekend. Juneteenth is on Saturday, Father’s Day is Sunday and Pride events are heating up!
Celebrate the return of nightlife with Susanne Bartsch’s “New York, New York!” show, go to Make Music Ditmas, dance the day away at Hot Honey Sundays, return to Grand Bazaar on the Upper West Side and more. “
Celebrate Juneteenth with Carnegie Hall and the Healing of Nations Foundation with an evening of special guest speakers Martin Luther King III, Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, David Crawford and Annette Gordon-Reed and performances by Wayne Brady, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alicia Moran, the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble, Joseph Joubert, Batoto Yetu, the Aeolian Choir and The Tiny Starr Ensemble. You can watch the live feed here at 7:30pm.
SuperReal has reopened at Cipriani 25 Broadway, inside the historic Cunard Building, bringing its cutting-edge projection mapping tech and multimedia art to its walls and ceiling—and it happens to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Cunard Building, which opened in 1921. Created by multimedia entertainment company Moment Factory in partnership with hospitality brand Cipriani, SuperReal first opened in the summer of 2019. It aims to transport visitors through dreamlike scenes in its gorgeous hall. Across 45 minutes, the show places viewers in five unique and abstract sequences that are both stunning and interactive. One minute you could be daydreaming in a fairylike flower garden and the next you’re caught in an epic thunderstorm or thrown into the middle of a tropical disco. During the show, people are encouraged to relax on bean bags or play with balloons that also react with the 360-degree show. The floor is a gigantic mirror that only enhances the special effects. It’s the ultimate place for selfies and fun Instagram fodder.
A site-specific experience at Lincoln Center is set to celebrate Juneteenth with vocalists Nona Hendryx, Marcelle Davies-Lashley and Kimberly Nichole performing original music by Vernon Reid and Nona Hendryx, with lyrics by Lynn Nottage. The show, curated by artist Carl Hancock Rux, will unfold in four parts across the campus and feature specially made paper costumes by designer Dianne Smith. For children and families, Concerts for Kids will present Coming Together, a celebration of Black culture through music, dance, and poetry.
Free tickets to June’s Restart Stages events will be made available through the TodayTix Lottery, the Official Ticketing Partner of Restart Stages. The TodayTix Lottery will open for entries two weeks before the performance and close three days prior to the performance at 12:59pm. Attendees who secure tickets will be required to follow safety protocols. For more information visit TodayTix.com or download the TodayTix app.
10. An afternoon of J.S. Bach, Coffee and Chocolate
The American Modern Ensemble’s is performing Cocoa Cantata, a contemporary adaptation of J.S. Bach’s Coffee Cantata by Robert Patterson and libretto by David Cote, at Chelsea Market on Saturday from 3 to 4pm. Visitors can enjoy the sounds of J.S. Bach while enjoying complimentary coffee and chocolates provided by Chelsea Market favorites, Li-Lac Chocolates and Sarabeth’s. Tickets for the event are $30 each and include the performance, an array of chocolate and coffee offerings.
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is doing a special outdoor screening of Summer of Soul (…Or, When When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. It follows the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, featuring never-before-seen footage from the massive concert series that was (until now) virtually eliminated from the history books. It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was met with rave reviews, taking home both the grand jury prize and the audience award. New York City will be able to experience Summer of Soul in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park just in time for Juneteenth.
As any fun-fact-loving Gothamite or perpetually late midtown office worker already knows, “Sixth-and-a-half Avenue” is a semi-hidden pedestrian pathway that runs from West 51st to West 57th St between Sixth and Seventh Avenue. The midtown location of Boucherie, which also has locations in the West Village, Union Square and on Christopher St, now has a beautiful outdoor space for al fresco meals that can be found just off 53rd St. Guests can enjoy a French-inspired menu while dining in the canopied, under-the-radar side street while surrounded by greenery, hanging lights and dark wood. Menu items at the location like Steak Frites ($49), Beef Bourguignon ($44) and Coq Au Vin ($36) easily complete the illusion and should have you feeling like you’re dining on the streets of Paris in no time.
Rooftop Films is back for the summer! The non-profit series is partnering with SundanceTV on this summer’s programming and the impressive line-up includes the New York premiere of Janicza Bravo’s Zola in Fort Greene Park, the world premiere of ESPN’s Once Upon a Time in Queens which follow the championship run of the 1986 Mets and the New York premieres of a number of eagerly anticipated documentaries like Joshua Rofé’s Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed, and Sally Aitken’s Playing with Sharks. This summer’s outdoor screenings will again feature a number of cultural draws on top of the films being shown like live music, immersive performances and filmmaker Q&As. This year, the series will be collaborating with Jazz at Lincoln Center to curate special musical performances before films at select events, including with the trio New Jazz Underground at the June 17 opening night event at Green-Wood Cemetery. You can find more information on the full selection in this summer’s series here. Films will be shown this year at amazing spots across the city including Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn; Brookfield’s Metrotech Commons; Fort Greene Park, in partnership with the Fort Greene Park Conservancy; The Old American Can Factory in Gowanus; the rooftops of The William Vale in Greenpoint; The Queens Drive-In in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, created by Rooftop in partnership with New York Hall of Science and Museum of the Moving Image; and the pier at The Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park
Bear with us while we try to explain what A Thousand Ways, a three-part participatory show that’s currently playing at the Public Theater—is all about. Mounted by the experimental company 600 Highwaymen, the trifecta of installments is described as “a triptych of encounters between strangers.” To put it simply, attendees are asked to actually become the actors in each play, following a script to be recited to (and across from) another participating stranger. The goal? To get through your role, both in terms of dialogue and actionable prompts included in the write out. “Part One: A Phone Call” casts two audience members to “follow a carefully crafted set of directives,” reads the show’s official description. “Over the course of the journey, a portrait of each other emerges through fleeting moments of exposure and the simple sound of an unseen voice.” To be clear: this first show takes place over the phone. Twenty-four hours prior to your allotted ticket date, you will receive a phone number to call at a scheduled time. A nameless, faceless voice will guide your one-hour phone conversation with another participating stranger. “Part Two: An Encounter,” on the other hand, is an in-person play. Upon entering the Public Theater, you’ll be asked to sit at a small table opposite a stranger. You’ll notice some objects and a stack of index cards laid out in front of you alongside instructions that will guide you through the experience. As a finale, “Part Three: An Assembly” will actually be a large-group, in-person show “made up of you and the other strangers from this project’s journey.” Dates and tickets for the last part of the project have yet to be released.
Dance Contemporary and experimental Various locations, Hell’s Kitchen Until Jun 27 2021
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s free, wide-flung celebration of the arts has many exciting offerings in 2021, including music, film, dance, walking tours, participatory events and more by groundbreaking artists–all throughout Lower Manhattan and The Arts Center at Governors Island. This year’s festival is curated by Lili Chopra and Nanette Nelmswith programs that speak to our current moment, offering new ways of seeing and connecting. In addition to the broad range of in-person events, digital films in the Festival’s program will be streamed on LMCC’s website.
The Outsider Art Fair returns this year, hosting international exhibitors displaying works from about 60 self-taught artists pushing the boundaries of creativity—overseen by guest curator and artist Takashi Murakami. The show’s theme is “Super-Rough,” a wordplay on “Superflat”, Murakami’s highly influential, conceptual explication for the phenomenon of a new genre of Japanese Pop Art as it emerged towards the end of the last millennium. Scope out a monolithic, 60-foot-long runway-like pedestal, featuring artists Nek Chand, Elijah Pierce, Howard Finster, Bessie Harvey, Jerry the Marble Faun, Sinichi Sawada, Ionel Talpazan, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, and William Edmondson.
The Museum of Modern Art is laying out more than 250 works on paper—sketches and rarely-seen watercolors—by French Post-Impressionist master Paul Cézanne for all to see in its newest exhibit, “Cézanne Drawing.” This is the first major effort in the U.S. to gather drawings from across Cézanne’s career to mark the development of his working methods, from practice on paper to watercolors to oil paintings. It is akin to seeing behind the veil of this master by literally looking into his sketchbook and seeing the repetition, contemplation and reworking he did behind the scenes.
Nightlife Sony Hall, Midtown West Until Jul 30 2021
A risqué cabaret vaudeville extraordinaire by nightlife maven Susanne Bartsch is set for Friday nights in June at Sony Hall. The full, sit-down show that’s a cross between a night at the opera collides and a burlesque circus, has table service and bites and includes performances from nightlife icons like Joey Arias, Amanda Lepore, Opera Gaga, Dirty Martini, Lola Von Rox, Neon Calypso, Laszlo Major, Leonid the Magnificent, Julie Atlas Muz, Fou York and more. Music will be provided by DJs Amber Valentine and Tommie Sunshine. After each show, there’s an after party DJ that turns the room around at 10pm.
Broadway may still be dark for the summer, but just a few avenues down 42nd Street, live performances are returning in a big way to Bryant Park. With support from Bank of America, the park’s Picnic Performances will be bringing 25 live, in-person events to the park, many featuring performers from the city’s top arts institutions. (The events will also be available to live stream.) The 2021 season is set to kick off on June 9 with a four-night run of back-to-back shows by musicians from the New York Philharmonic and will close on September 20 with an event that will serve as a 100th-anniversary celebration for The Town Hall. All of the outdoor concerts will be free and open to the public. The park will observe all current safety protocols for the event and also provide enough room for social distancing (audience registration will be required in advance.)
Here’s the official schedule for June and July: The New York Philharmonic: Four Nights in Bryant Park (6/9 to 6/12) New York City Opera: Pride in the Park (6/18) and Carmen (7/2) New York Chinese Cultural Center (6/25) Joe’s Pub: Mykal Kilgore (6/26) Carnegie Hall Citywide: Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely (7/9); Spanish Harlem Orchestra (7/16); The Knights (7/23); Adrienne Warren & Friends (7/30) Greenwich House Music School: Riley Mulherkar and Ella Bric (7/31)
The highly-anticipated “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibit that digitally places visitors inside Vincent van Gogh’s paintings is finally coming to NYC. The space at Pier 36 will allow the NYC exhibit to be three times as big as it was in Toronto—the biggest one yet. It’ll be an experience New Yorkers will want to see when it does open. Animations of van Gogh’s work—The Potato Eaters, Starry Night, Sunflowers, The Bedroom and more—will be projected on the walls and floor of the exhibit, covering 500,000 cubic feet, bringing van Gogh’s work to life. It’ll all be set to a score by Luca Longobardi that was created just for this exhibit.
2021 is shaping up to be the Summer of Van Gogh (but in a fun way) with not just one, but two separate immersive Van Gogh experiences. In addition to Immersive Van Gogh, tickets are also currently on sale for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. The experience fills a 20,000-square-foot space with mesmerizing lights, captivating music and, of course, detailed projections of the works of one of the world’s most famous artists that completely surround you as if a witch has trapped you in a painting. In addition to those eye-catching floor-to-ceiling projections, the experience also includes separate galleries providing more information on Van Gogh’s life, his technique and his influence—making this not just an insta-ready outing but an educational one as well. (It goes without saying that it would be a perfect thing to bring your kids to!) An on-site, ten-minute-long virtual reality experience takes you on a journey of “a day in the life of the artist.”
DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, is launching a Spring Showcase—a four-week online festival featuring some of the year’s most talked-about nonfiction episodic series and films (Pretend It’s a City, Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, and Framing Britney Spears among others), paired with exclusive conversations featuring the creative teams behind them. Special guests like Padma Lakshmi, Steve James, Fran Lebowitz, Dr. Orna Guralnik, Asif Kapadia and Louis Theroux will make appearances. “DOC NYC is excited to create a spring focal point to build upon our annual fall festival, now in its 12th year,” said the festival’s Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen. “We’re living through a period of rapid expansion of the documentary field, and we’re thrilled to offer a new opportunity to discover a diverse array of important nonfiction work. Over the last year, DOC NYC has expanded our professional and educational programming for filmmakers beyond the fall season, with great results. With Spring Showcase, we’re aiming to do the same for documentary-loving audiences as well.” The first Spring Showcase lineup spans a wide variety of nonfiction formats and subjects, from hosted series to biographies, vérité films and mult-part cultural explorations, covering everything from culinary history to city politics, pop music, and the inner workings of intimate relationships.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
Last summer, as restaurateurs hastily built makeshift patios, Silver Apricot partners Emmeline Zhao and Simone Tong created a space that truly translated the dining experience to the street without sacrificing a bit of elegance or refinement. (Being situated on one of the West Village’s quieter blocks didn’t hurt.) Purse hooks on the plastic dividers, lavender planted along the perimeter, and quality glass and plateware made for a setting worthy of Tong’s inventive Chinese American dishes like chile-crab rangoon dip and burnished scallion puffs. Now they are renovating the dining room in preparation for indoor service and plan to reopen June 17 with a new seasonal menu.—A.K.
Veteran chefs John Nguyen and Nhu Ton began peddling their Vietnamese sandwiches and crispy pork-belly salad rolls from an empty pop-up space on the upper reaches of Amsterdam Avenue last summer, and the operation was such a hit that by January they’d put down permanent roots in the neighborhood. There are five varieties of toasty bánh mìs to choose from (when in doubt, order the charcoal-grilled pork), numerous sturdy classics from Ton’s native central Vietnam (try the Frisbee-size rice-noodle delicacy called bánh dap), and a deeply flavorful beef pho. —A.P.
Last summer, the outdoor-dining setup at downtown Portuguese-Spanish restaurant Cervo’s was a destination almost in spite of itself. Simple wooden folding tables and chairs sprawled across an unadorned and fluorescent-lit expanse of Canal Street. Counter-service orders were called out brusquely over a loudspeaker mounted on the building’s exterior. Serviceware was disposable. You found and bussed your own table. But the Dimes Square denizens flocked nonetheless, pushing together tables laden with dark-pink Spritzes, fried-fish sandwiches, and glistening head-on prawns. It was casual, cool, and as COVID-safe as one could hope for. Now, after a winter hiatus operating as a shop, the scene returns to Cervo’s, but this time the restaurant has full-service outdoor dining on a newly built yellow-tiled patio with proper glassware, plateware, and a menu of old favorites like piri-piri chicken, mussels escabeche, and crispy shrimp heads.—A.K.
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 has required some changes.
70 Spectacular Things To Do In New York City This June By Justine Golata – Secret NYC • June 2, 2021
“Forget about the solstice, come June 1st New York summer has practically begun!
Though summer officially begins at the end of June, there are already plenty of warm weather activities already taking place. Not to mention, it’s Pride Month! So get ready for a fun-filled June, packed with plenty of fantastic events that will be popping up all month long.”
Here are 70 of our favorites.
Visit Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Experience a little taste of Italy at NYC’s exclusive “Brunello Week”
Listen to enchanting music by candlelight in beautiful NYC spaces
Show your Pride at the Pride March
Put your baking skills to the test with Nailed It! at home bake off
See the new Hall of Gems and Minerals at the Natural History Museum
Immerse yourself in a dazzling, multi-sensory experience
Visit NYC’s first-ever floating park ‘Little Island’
Transport to Paris with this Moulin Rouge-era outdoor show in the Village
See a concert at Bryant Park
Grab your tickets to the new multisensory exhibit on infamous British street artist Banksy
Swim at Time Square’s only outdoor pool
Experience an audio immersive theatrical experience of ‘I Couldn’t Tell You Why’
Celebrate World Bicycle Day (June 3rd)
Hop Aboard NYC’s first-ever floating Mexican restaurant
Get brunch with friends
Roller skate at JFK Airport
Do something special for dad on Father’s Day
19-40. Take in skyline views at these stunning rooftops
Enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the new flagship store
Sip on Butterbeer just like Harry and his friends
Relax at new wellness spa on Governors Island
Taste international fare at outdoor food markets
Lounge at ‘The Green’ at Lincoln Center
46-60. Enjoy happy hour with friends
Stand next to the 25-foot tall bronze sculpture taking over Rockefeller Center
Order dumplings around the clock
Catch Lady Liberty napping in Morningside Park
Get your tan on at the beach!
Read up on Juneteenth
Hit up Coney Island’s Luna Park
Kayak for free at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Play arcade games at the entirely pink bubble tea shop in Queens
Watch a movie at Astoria Park Lawn
Try NYC fine dining icon Eleven Madison Park’s new 100% vegan menu
Secret New York City is one of the finest online guides to things to do and see in NYC. From the best restaurants, to fascinating museums, this site will help you discover amazing new places and create some beautiful memories along the way.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
Pre-pandemic, Via Carota was one of those restaurants West Villagers despaired of getting into. Mainly, it was first come, first served, with a system that involved scrawling your name on a chalkboard, then waiting forever in a knot for a table. Yes, the food was fantastic, a collection of Italian classics that observed the seasons with an emphasis on vegetables. But the pandemic changed the place. Tables spilled out onto the street, neighboring offshoot Bar Pisellino reopened, and suddenly it was possible to stride up and claim a seat, especially mid-afternoon or late in the evening. And what a scene! The menu continues to evolve, but the deep-fried rabbit, voluminous insalata verde, and svizzerina (the bunless house burger) are still the ones to beat. —R.C.S.
When the Shanghainese CheLi opened two doors down from sister restaurant Szechuan Mountain House on St. Marks Place last November, it only offered its food to go. But now the fantastically elaborate dining room is open, its bamboo-hut-like booths attracting Chinese expats and regional-Chinese-food lovers of all ages and stripes. The menu, like the mazelike décor, offers surprises at every turn, including the showstopping giant Song Dynasty steam bun. Much of the cooking is based on centuries-old recipes, but for something more contemporary, try chef Qiling Wang’s tofu-and-egg-drop soup thickened with sea urchin. —R.C.S.
St. Marks Place became one of the city’s great boulevards for outdoor dining last year, especially on weekend evenings, when tables were set up on the sidewalk and skateboarders ground up and down the street. This antic scene will only heat up this summer, and there are few better places to take it in than this deceptively sophisticated little Korean tapas spot run by the talented chef Kay Hyun. Hyun offers two selections of Wagyu, which is not an ingredient commonly seen in this part of town; sticks of plantain fried like pork katsu in clouds of panko; and fat little dumplings folded with deposits of sweet-corn purée. And there are plenty of fine sakes and Korean spirits with names like Seoul Night and Golden Barley. —A.P.
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 has required some changes.
“Soak up the sun as well as our list of recommendations for the best things to do during summer in New York By Shaye Weaver and Krista Diamond
“This summer in NYC promises to be an unforgettable one now that our city is back up. The city has a boundless energy once the heat cranks up, and doubly so this year, so it’s time to start checking off our sensational list of things to do in summer in NYC. Some of the most popular New York attractions provide an endless list of things to do outside from rooftop movies and free dance parties to can’t-miss music festivals and more. Here’s how to make the absolute most of these steamy summer nights.
Tip: You may want to request off for a few staycation days too so you can spend some time relaxing at a few rooftop pools during the week when they’re less crowded.”
35 ways to have the best summer in NYC
Do dinner and drinks at Time Out Market New York
Broadway at the Drive-In
Be a disco diva at Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco
Catch “In the Heights” at the Tribeca Film Festival
See live music at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival
Try the city’s best bites at Smorgasburg
Take in a show at Irving Plaza, finally
Get down at Hot Honey Sundays
Get free entry to the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree
Skate around at TWA Hotel’s Roll-A-Rama
Celebrate Pride!
Visit NYC’s gorgeous floating park
Do margs on NYC’s only floating Mexican restaurant
Go glamping in the Rockaways
Go glamping on Governors Island, instead
Fill up at Queens Night Market
See the hot Immersive Van Gogh exhibit
See movies atop Pier 17’s rooftop
See a free SummerStage show
Devour an ice cream cone at Ample Hills Creamery
Eat, drink and shop in the streets
Cool off in the city’s pools
Lindy Hop at the Jazz Age Lawn Party
Take a trip to Governors Island
Catch a flick at Rooftop Cinema Club
Have drinks with a view at these rooftop bars
Drink on the water at boat bar!
Scream your guts out at Luna Park
Go stargazing on the High Line
Nosh on as many lobster rolls as you can
Dance the night away at Midsummer Night Swing
Tackle the water slide at Summer Streets
Go kayaking (for free!)
Attend a tennis match during the U.S. Open
Have a picnic in the park
Time Out New York is one of the best sites for comprehensive NYC information. I find myself checking it out regularly. You should too.
If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.
“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky
Last fall, the abandoned Arcade Bakery space came back to life as Frenchette Bakery, ready to fulfill the carb-craving needs of Tribeca moms, the doctors in the medical practices upstairs, and passersby lured in by the sweet, yeasty promise of croissants and baguettes. Happily, the new owners have retained a big part of what made Arcade so special. Its unique design, using drop-down table ledges and inset benches, transforms a generic hallway into a gathering place for impromptu meetings, shared pizza lunches, and the kind of coffee breaks office workers never knew they’d miss. The bakers line the display case with their own enticements, too: exceptional loaves of sourdough and rye; savory breakfast pastries like the mortadella, egg, and Comté; and rich and flaky pain au chocolat. —Adam Moussa
Follow Your Nose to Great Bronx BBQ
Hudson Smokehouse / 37 Bruckner Blvd., Mott Haven
This recently opened barbecue joint is located at the southern tip of the Bronx on a street once populated by antiques shops, and you can smell the ’cue as you walk by. The corral seating in front catches the sun during the daytime, and inside there’s a high-ceilinged room where social distancing isn’t a problem. The meats include great fatty brisket, pork ribs worth gnawing, and pork-belly burnt ends that make deliriously good bacon. Even the beer list, with many mugs originating in the Bronx, draws you in.—R.C.S.
The Oropeza brothers have pulled off a rare pandemic feat: They closed their tiny takeout outpost in midtown, which focused on soupy salteñas (Bolivia’s take on the empanada), and rebooted in Sunnyside with a sit-down location serving creative South American fare. On any given Saturday, a young crowd may show up to eat (and ’gram) craggy fried-chicken chicharrón sandwiches with spicy Llajua-spiked mayo, stark white bowls of sopa de maní (peanut soup), vegan “chola” sandwiches crammed full of charred jackfruit instead of the usual pork, and cherimoya birthday-cake ice cream. The best time to swing by is just before dusk, when you can grab a seat on the streetside terrace and take in the Empire State Building framed against a pink sky while Andean music plays from the storefront.—R.P.S.
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 