Things to do on a thursday night near me

Big Game Mondays at Time Out Market

Take your Monday night football ritual to Time Out Market New York, where Monday’s NFL games will be projected on the big screen and happy hour lasts all night!

Head up to the market’s fifth floor to enjoy the game and happy hour prices all night from 4pm to close, including $35 Brooklyn and Coney Island IPA Pitchers and a specialty cocktail, the Gridiron Rum Punch ($12). Of course, game night wouldn’t be complete without good finger food—Pat Lafrieda will be selling its masterful burgers, sliders and tots while Fornino will have its unmatched Margherita pizza, arancini and meatballs for purchase.

It’s such a perfect space to catch the game that you’ll be tempted to do your own touchdown dance.

Happy Hour at Time Out Market New York

Join us on the fifth floor rooftop every Monday through Friday from 4pm–7pm for happy hour. Get $5 select draught beers, $8 specialty cocktails and $7 select wines.

Salsa Thursdays at Time Out Market New York

Get your salsa on for free every Thursday from 6-9pm on the fifth floor of the Time Out Market. 

Instructor Marlene Veras will lead you through the steps to beats by percussionist Ronnie Roc for a solid foundation before you break out into a full-on salsa dance party with tunes from DJ Ray Suave.

¡Bailemos!

Love Local Tuesdays at Time Out Market

Things are getting hyper local at Time Out Market New York every Tuesday! Visitors to the Market will be able to receive 20 percent off drinks all day long if they’re a resident, first responder or worker in Dumbo. (Just a heads up: the deal is not valid during Happy Hour.) That’s right—we’re showing the community a little extra love every single Tuesday. Just be sure to bring some proof of identification to take advantage of the neighborhood-focused deal.

1. Frida Kahlo, The Life of an Icon

Immerse yourself in the artwork of Frida Kahlo like never before at "Frida Kahlo, The Life of an Icon," which opens at 261 Water Street in Brooklyn on October 27.

The 90-minute walk-through show will utilize “seven different transformational spaces, enabling one to enter the life and work of the Mexican artist who, in the 21st century, continues to inspire and be more relevant than ever.”

Get your tickets here.

2. Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience

“Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience” will take over Pier 36 with a multi-gallery, multi-sensory exhibition that promises to “whisk” you away to Ancient Egypt. Inside the experience, you will discover King Tut’s story, from his time as a child Pharoah to the discovery of his tomb in 1922 and beyond with “cinematic storytelling and soaring imagery.”

Timed tickets to “Beyond King Tut,” which opens October 28 and runs through January 1 at Pier 36, must be bought in advance and start at $47 for adults and $34 for children ages 5-15.

3. "Camille’s Rainbow," an opera for babies

This new show at Carnegie Hall is designed specifically for the littlest music lovers. "Camille’s Rainbow," a new immersive performance for babies and toddlers (ages 0–2), will debut with free performances in Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing from October 24–28. The show is all about unbridled creative play.

The event is free with advanced registration online. Adults must be accompanied by a child to attend the event.

4. Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse

Get a rare glimpse inside a quintessential Brooklyn Heights 1839 Greek Revival townhouse, just steps from the world famous Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The townhouse features a grand double parlor with soaring 13' ceilings and preserved period details, a spacious full-floor primary bedroom suite and five beautifully landscaped outdoor spaces. A fifth floor features floating stairs to the roof deck with both city and water views. Marvel at each room designed by talented interior designers from New York and Brooklyn. 

If you're feeling inspired to up your own interior design game, check out the showhouse shop on the garden level for new products, furniture and accessories from local Brooklyn shops The Primary Essentials and Assembly Line.

The Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse is open through October 30.

5. Movie nights at Hudson Yards

Bring some popcorn and head to the public square at Hudson Yards for a free movie night. Films will play on the 30-food big screen, so you'll be sure to get a great view of the action.

Here's what's on the schedule:

Tuesday, October 25, 6pm: “The Goonies”
Friday, October 28, 6pm: “Beetlejuice”

6. Statue of Liberty Birthday Celebration cruise

Send happy birthday wishes to the Statue of Liberty, which is turning 136 this year. City Experiences is celebrating Lady Liberty's 136th birthday with a Statue of Liberty Birthday Celebration cruise on Friday, October 28.

Reserve a seat on the Friday evening ship to cruise in the signature Bateaux vessel, wave to the icon that defines New York City, enjoy a three-course dinner with live music, sip on a champagne toast, and sing along to special rendition of “New York, New York,” as the yacht cruises by Lady Liberty herself. 

7. Oaxaca in NYC

Spend the semana (aka week) celebrating De de Muertos with the Oaxaca in NYC event led by This is Latin America. The arts/crafts store in DUMBO is bringing a taste of Mexico to Brooklyn with mezcal, music, traditional food and more than 1,000 artisanal pieces from across Latin America. 

For the celebration, they're building an altar and hosting an altar lighting ceremony. Anyone is invited to bring a photo of their late loved ones to be honored on the altar. 

Activities run from October 28 through November 2. 

8. Urbanworld Film Festival

This powerhouse international film festival boasts an impressive array of movies featuring diverse and memorable protagonists and subjects, including docs on Louis Armstrong and athlete Willie Mays and memorable narratives like Devotion and The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The five-day festival, running from October 26-30, showcases narrative and documentary features, short films, web originals, music videos, spotlight screenings and live staged screenplay readings. 

You can buy a ticket for an individual screening or a festival pass.

9. Mexico Week: Día De Muertos at Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center's Mexico Week: Día De Muertos will celebrate Mexico’s heritage and culture through art, food, music and education. Stop by to see an ofrenda (altar honoring lost loved ones), quetzalcoatl sculptures and more beautiful artwork. Events run from October 27 through November 2 and are free to visit.

Plus, there's a chance to visit a tianguis, or open air market, featuring authentic Mexican food, artisanal goods, textiles and Tequila Casa Dragones. The market is open on October, 28, 29 and 30 (11am-10pm) and on October 31, November 1 and 2 (4pm-10pm).

10. Bodega Kids Comedy

Bodega Kids Comedy showcases the best Latinx comedians in NYC and this week's performance will help a good cause. All proceeds will go to the Taller Salud Foundation to help Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.

The October 28 show features performances from Lissa Lenis, Sergio Chicon, Zilla Vodnas, JC Mendoza, and Matt Arevalo.

11. Circus Vazquez

Circus Vazquez is bringing big top fun to Queens. As one of the longest-running circuses in the U.S., these shows promise one-of-a-kind performances by an international all-human cast of circus superstars. See X-Metal Riders inside the Globe of Death, the Wheel of Wonder, the Super Tumblers and The Medini Xtreme Skaters and more.

Shows run from October 28 through December 12. 

12. Body Snatching in Old New York

Learn all about the gruesome history of “body snatching” in NYC with a tour of Lower Manhattan this month. From noon to 2pm (running October 28, 29 and 31), you’ll visit the scene of an infamous riot caused by medical students stealing corpses, meet an entrepreneur whose body was stolen for ransom, learn of the hunted head of a thespian, and hear about a patriot whose bones may have been turned into buttons. These stories may seem larger-than-life but they’re all true!

13. Museum of I-Scream

The Museum of Ice Cream has been transformed for the season into the Museum of I-Scream (ha!). Among the various sweet creations on offer will be candy corn popsicles, hard scoops with honey toppings and delicacies from an ice cream "grave" station. We're not entirely sure what that means but we are confident it will consist of some spookily delicious yumminess. Go feel the sugar rush through October 31.

14. Greg's Great Pumpkin Patch

Picking the perfect pumpkin is a rite of passage for many New Yorkers every autumn, but this year, you don't have to go far to to get into the fall spirit. For the first time, Greg's Great Pumpkin Patch is popping up in Domino Park with some 4,000 pumpkins in all shapes and sizes, plus lots of fall festivities.

In addition to the rows upon rows of pumpkins, each one carefully stacked onto hay bales, you can also have some harvest-themed fun with photo opps and a hay maze. 

Find Greg's Great Pumpkin Patch at Domino Park (South 1st Street and River Street) through Halloween, open from 9am-9pm daily (and often until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays). 

15. NYPL's free exhibit of rare artifacts

The New York Public Library dug through its expansive and centuries-spanning archive to stage an impressive free exhibition filled with cultural artifacts. "The Polonsky Exhibition of New York Public Library’s Treasures" spans 4,000 years of history and includes a wide range of history-making pieces, including the only surviving letter from Christoper Columbus announcing his “discovery” of the Americas to King Ferdinand’s court and the first Gutenberg Bible brought over to the Americas.

New treasures were just added to the exhibit this fall, including a signed, first edition copy of "Passing" by Nella Larsen, a selection of manuscript pages from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot, and a miniature early 19th-century Qur’an, produced in Turkey.

16. Residential Rising: Lower Manhattan since 9/11

“Residential Rising: Lower Manhattan since 9/11,” the Skyscraper Museum’s newest exhibition, analyzes and visualizes how the neighborhood's population has more than doubled since 2001.

The exhibit features stunningly detailed scale models of the city's tall wonders and digs into the history of the area. 

See “Residential Rising: Lower Manhattan since 9/11” at The Skyscraper Museum (39 Battery Place, Battery Park City) before the show ends in January 2023. Admission is free, with timed tickets required. 

Take a tour of the neighborhood with an expert on Friday, October 28; here's how to get tickets. 

17. The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming

Just in time for the Halloween season, “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming” is open at the New-York Historical Society. Handwritten letters, petitions of innocence from the accused and other rare documents bring to life the 300-year-old story of the Salem Witch Trials, shining a light on our country’s past and holding important lessons for today about injustice.

In addition to historic items, two contemporary artists who are descendants of the accused created reclamation projects.

Here's our take on seven must-see things at New-York Historical’s haunting Salem Witch Trials exhibit.

18. The Amazing Maize Maze

Add this one to your fall bucket list: Get into the fall spirit by seeing if you can navigate this three-acre corn maze at a farm in Queens. 

Called The Amazing Maize Maze, this plant puzzle at the Queens County Farm Museum lives up to the hype. This year, the maze pays homage to Georgia O’Keeffe’s iconic “Ram’s Head, Blue Morning Glory” painting, and it was developed in collaboration with Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. 

The maze is open on Fridays (noon-4:30pm), Saturdays (11am-4:30pm), and Sundays (11am-4:30pm) from September 16 through October 29. Pricing is $12 for adults and $8 for kids — get your tickets here.

19. Ximer

In Markus Ferraro's EDM concept musical, set in the club scene of a seedy metropolis called Spectral, channels comic-book energy to tell the dark tale of a woman who summons the spirits of her past lives to avenge the murder of her queer brother. Key moments from LGBTQ+ history are evoked along the way. The cast includes more than two dozen performers; Carly Wheeler and Katie Miller alternate in the central role. (The title is pronounced like "shimmer.")

20. The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is back with surreal creations this year, like a giant pumpkin dragon and NYC streetscape made of hundreds of pumpkins each.

The massive blaze has two locations—Hudson Valley returns to its location at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson for the 18th year and Blaze: Long Island returns to Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage for the third year.

This year, the blaze is bigger and better than ever with thousands of hand-carved jack o’lanterns lit up in elaborate displays throughout historic landscapes. The Blaze: Hudson Valley will include an animated “Jack” smith working in his shop and a hive of glowing bees. Blaze: Long Island will show off new special effects and pumpkins that look like local icons in the Long Island Hall of Fame.

Blaze: Hudson Valley will run for 54 nights from September 16 through November 20. Blaze: Long Island will run for 28 nights from September 30 through November 6.

21. Days of the Dead Festival

Frigid New York gives you the chills in a two-week festival inspired by Mexico's dead-lifting holiday Día de los Muertos. The lineup includes more than a dozen shows on themes of mortality and the afterlife, each performed only once or twice; among them are the fabular musical Wolf Tale, Julia VanderVeen's solo show My Grandmother's Eye Patch, a burlesque tribute to vampires and a collection of ghost stories by The Pumpkin Pie Show's wonderful Clay McLeod Chapman. Visit the festival's website for a full list of offerings. 

22. The Rooftop Cinema Club

The Rooftop Cinema Club is one of our favorite things to do in the city come fall. Delightful drinks, delicious food, beautiful views, the sort of breeze you can only experience on a rooftop in Manhattan and a range of classic and new movies? Sign us up.

The schedule for this year's Rooftop Cinema Club in midtown—at 60 West 37th Street, on the third floor of the Embassy Suits by Hilton New York Manhattan Times Square—is officially out and it's looking stacked with showtimes through Halloween.

Here's what's coming up: 

October 31 at 4:15pm: Halloweentown

24. Edward Hopper’s New York

This week, the Whitney Museum of American Art is offering a glimpse into the NYC that renowned painter Edward Hopper portrayed in his works, such as “Automat” (1927), “Early Sunday Morning” (1930), “Room in New York” (1932), “New York Movie” (1939), “Morning Sun” (1952) and others.

“Edward Hopper’s New York,” which is on view through March 5, 2023, will showcase more than 200 paintings watercolors, prints, and drawings from the Whitney’s collection as well as loans from public and private collections, and archival materials including printed ephemera, correspondence, photographs, and notebooks. These works serve as a record of a changing city.

25. Bill Miller at dieFirma

For the past decade, artist Bill Miller has collected pieces of linoleum, the once ubiquitous material in homes across America. Now, for the artist's first solo show in New York City, he's reinvented those materials as collages representing life-size domestic tableaus and landscapes. 

The artworks explore his family's blue-collar losses to reinterpret the past. The Pittsburgh-based artist is the grandson of a coal miner and son of a factory worker, both of whom where killed in industrial accidents. This show bears witness to these tragedies, giving voice to their quiet history through the surface of his chosen medium.

The gallery show opens on October 20 in Manhattan and runs through January 14, 2023.

26. Limited-edition gelato at Antica Pesa

It may be fall, but it's not to chilly for a cold treat, and Williamsburg's Antica Pesa is serving up a special sweet treat until the end of the month. In celebration of 10 years in Brooklyn, the classic Italian restaurant partnered with Gelateria Gentile for a limited-edition gelato.

This creamy dish brings flavors of ricotta with coffee, cherries, and chocolate, a play on the traditional Roman "Crostata ricotta e visciole" pastry made throughout homes in Rome. The gelato is on the menu at Antica Pesa all month, and you can also find it at Gelateria Gentile locations around the city, so go treat yourself to a scoop (or two). 

27. Firehouse: The Photography of Jill Freedman

In an artistic representation of heroism and heart, the late photographer Jill Freedman lived among the firefighters in the Bronx and Harlem for more than a year in the 1970s as she chronicled their work. Now, her images are on display at The New York City Fire Museum.

The exhibition features a number of images contained in Freedman’s book, Firehouse, which was released in 1977 and garnered rave reviews highlighting their honesty and grit that captured the danger, tragedy, heroism and camaraderie of being a firefighter in New York City. The images in the exhibition include close-ups of the firefighters, action shots at the scene of a fire and more.

See "Firehouse: The Photography of Jill Freedman" through April 2, 2023. 

28. The Bond of Live Things Everywhere

Walk through a word and sound installation of Black poetry that speaks to our relationship with the natural world in this new exhibition at New York Botanical Garden. The Bond of Live Things Everywhere stages Black poetry and performance in the open air close to water and trees, inspired in part by "The Clearing"—a green space cut deep in the woods where a free Black community finds grace in Toni Morrison's novel Beloved. The work explores the bond between Black freedom dreams and stewardship of Earth. 

Curated by poet and scholar Joshua Bennett, The Bond of Live Things Everywhere features 12 poems by classic and contemporary Black poets. It's held at the Garden's Wild Wetland Trail through Sunday, November 6.

29. Wonderland Dreams

The immersive experience trend continues strong with Wonderland Dreams, a newly announced interactive wine bar loosely inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The cultural offering is scheduled to debut in midtown Manhattan at 529 Fifth Avenue by 44th Street on October 7 and run through late April 2023.

The venue, which boasts 20 different rooms filled with eye-catching sights, sounds pretty remarkable. The 26,000-square-foot space has been hand-painted, there's a living art gallery that quite literally puts visitors inside a picture frame, a secret rose garden, giant playing cards and color-changing drinks.

Tickets for Wonderland Dreams are available for purchase now right here.

30. Cloaked Crusader: George Washington in Comics and Pop Culture

Head back in time at the Fraunces Tavern Museum to explore how George Washington became a pop culture icon over the years. Our first president's persona has been showcased in comics, pop culture, and other appearances alongside figures like Superman and Captain America. Dig into those depictions through the new exhibition "Cloaked Crusader: George Washington in Comics and Pop Culture."

31. Climate Change Tour: Resiliency, Sustainable Architecture and the Future of NYC

Take a boat trip with an architecture expert as your guide to explore New York City's green buildings, sustainable parks, renewable energy sites, flood walls and recycling plants. Learn how New York City is addressing climate change and confronting pressing challenges that must be solved immediately. Cruising along the water presents the best way to understand the climate change challenges facing the city.

Tours are offered on most Thursdays throughout the fall as a collaboration between AIANY and Classic Harbor Line.

32. Smokus Pocus: A 420 Magic Show

Dubbed "the world's dopest magic show," Smokus Pocus promises a higher kind of magic for your next night out. It's full of trippy tricks where caricatures will come to life, objects will vanish and reappear in impossible places, minds will be read, and both the stoned and sober will experience the magical high that is Smokus Pocus. The show is running on weekends in October in Brooklyn. 

33. Modern Mondays

Talk with trailblazing figures at the forefront of the cinematic art form at Museum of Modern Art’s Modern Mondays. The series celebrates moving-image experimentation and innovation with a different program each Monday. Artists working in film and video will present their work in an intimate setting, then you'll get to ask questions of the artists, curators and other guests. Here's this fall's schedule: 

An Evening with Fox Maxy
Monday, October 31, 7pm

An Evening with Alfredo Jaar
Monday, November 7, 7pm

An Evening with Simon Liu
Monday, November 14, 7pm

An Evening with Linda Goode Bryant
Monday, December 5, 7pm

An Evening with Yuri Ancarani
Monday, December 12, 7pm 

34. Queens Craft Brigade

The Queens Craft Brigade is back in time for its five-year anniversary market in Astoria, Queens. The independent, queer-owned market brings together talented makers exclusively from around the borough and has created monthly curated events featuring artwork, jewelry, fashion, crafts, and more at Katch Astoria. This time, vendors include Camille at the Wheel, Paige’s Candle Co, Cissy’s Art Cafe, Lilasuds, Caryn Cast, Kate Durkin, Paulina Pizza, and more.

Here are the upcoming event dates:

— Sunday, October 30

— Saturday, November 26

35. Gamehaus

Have some fun this week and go check out Gamehaus, a giant new arcade and beer hall just opened in Long Island City. This 5,000-square-foot multifunctional space features a dozen large-screen TVs, classic video games and loads of beers.

Classice arcade games include Atari Pong, Ms. Pacman, Jurassic Park, Pop-a-Shot and Skee Ball.

36. Mishegoss Comedy

Head to the Lower East Side for Mishegoss Comedy, a live stand-up comedy show striving to uplift the voices of female, queer, and POC comedians. Founded by Skye Grayson and Lily Lester, the weekly show on Thursdays features comedians from The Comedy Cellar, Netflix, Comedy Central, HBO, etc. Find it in the underground performance space of Von with a speakeasy feel.

37. The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England

The Tudors and their tumultuous reigns have captured our imaginations for centuries—see The Tudors, Wolf Hall, Elizabeth, The Other Boleyn Girl and the William Shakespeare plays—and now, an exhibit focusing on art created during their dynasty will be on display here in NYC.

“The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England,” is now open at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcasiing more than 100 objects—including iconic portraits, spectacular tapestries, manuscripts, sculpture, and armor—from both the museum collection and international lenders, the Met says.

38. "New Reisen" at New York City Ballet

See "New Reisen" at the New York City Ballet, a show featuring music composed by Solange Knowles. 

The score, which will be choreographed by Gianna Reisen, will be performed throughout October and next May. A Grammy-Award-winning singer, songwriter, and visual artist, Knowles wrote the piece for a chamber ensemble. It’ll be performed by some of the composer’s frequent musical collaborators, along with members of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Expect the costumes to shine alongside the music.

Tickets for the show start at $38 and are on sale now. 

39. Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum

Inspired by a quote from the renowned photographer Robert Capa’s, who said “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough,” this show presents more than 150 works. The images are by 12 contemporary women photographers assoicated with Magnum Photos, the pioneering photography collective co-founded by Capa. 

The works feature experiences of young Islamic women in Turkey, the evolution of a young club performer in Paris, and the story of women who sought refuge from domestic violence in the, UK.

The exhibition coincides with the 75th anniversary of Magnum Photos’ founding; see it at the International Center of Photography through January 9, 2023.

40. Sloomoo Institute's slime museum

Part visual splendor, part olfactory wonder and part ooey-gooey sensory fun, Sloomoo Institute’s slime museum has reopened after a renovation. This captivating playground welcomes all ages to its home in SoHo—or “SooHoo,” in Sloomoo parlance (see what we did there?).

The original Sloomoo experience began as a pop-up in 2019 intended for a six-month run, but it was so popular that it stayed open for two years. After a brief closure, the immersive experience is now reopening with a brand new look. 

While Sloomoo is a highly Instagrammable experience, the founders hope you’ll spend some time away from your phone and immersed in the moment during your 90-minute visit to truly have the slime of your life.

Here are five things not to miss on your visit.

41. Dining in the Dark

One of the most exciting culinary events of the season is returning near New York through October 30: Dining in the Dark, a 90-minute experience that asks visitors to forget all about the traditional way of eating.

During the pitch-black event, participants will be blindfolded while eating their dinner, which heightens the diner's sense making for a more pleasurable experience.

Make sure to pre-book your session, which includes the choice of two available main dishes (meat or vegetarian) and the chance to order some drinks before entering the secluded area.

The menu is secret but you can let organizers know about your dietary requirements and allergies right after you purchase your tickets right here.

42. Survivors: Faces of Life after the Holocaust

A new exhibition at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, "Survivors: Faces of Life after the Holocaust," features 75 close-up portraits of Holocaust survivors photographed by award-winning photographer Martin Schoeller. 

The images showcase Schoeller's signature style, with the subjects gazing intensely at the viewer, revealing the struggles, pains and resilience that have defined them throughout the years. 

Each photo is paired with a biography and the exhibition will also feature behind-the-scenes video footage documenting the actual shots, which were taken at Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

The exhibit is on display in the museum's rotunda on the third floor, which was just recently named after Holocaust survivor Rita Lowenstein, through June 18, 2023.

43. A Raisin in the Sun

The monumental Tonya Pinkins (Caroline, or Change) headlines a new production of Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 classic about hard times and big dreams in a Chicago South Side household; Robert O'Hara (Bootycandy) steers an ensemble that also includes Francois Battiste, Paige Gilbert, Mandi Masden, John Clay III, Mister Fitzgerald, Calvin Dutton, Perri Gaffney and Jesse Pennington.

44. A Subjective View

Explore iconic artworks by Robert Rauschenberg in this new show at Faurschou New York in Greenpoint. See how those works fit in dialogue with pieces by two fellow U.S. artists, Zachary Armstrong who presents large-scale encaustic paintings, and Curtis Barnes Sr., who painted portraits and self-studies over 40 years. 

Presenting these artworks together furthers Faurschou New York’s mission to explore intergenerational and cross-cultural connections in contemporary art—and to provide viewers with meaningful and inspired experiences.

All three shows are on view until January 29, 2023.

45. Iconic Views of Central Park

Visit Central Park's must-see spots with an expert guide from the park conservancy. See the Manhattan skyline from Sheep Meadow, walk under the gorgeous American elms that line the Mall, capture a picture at the movie-perfect Bethesda Terrace, and gaze on other memorable landmarks like Bow Bridge, Cherry Hill and the Lake.

Plus, learn the history of how Central Park's designers and architects transformed rocky and swampy land into the work of art in the center of Manhattan. 

46. Village Voices

Stroll through Greenwich Village, the East village, and NoHo to check out “Village Voices 2022,” a public outdoor exhibition of 22 shadowboxes and two multifaceted, interactive installations.

“Village Voices 2022” celebrates people, places, and moments from the neighborhoods’ artistic, social, political, and cultural movements through photographs, artifacts, and soundscape recordings. Shadowboxes include tributes to Jean-Michel Basquiat, E.E. Cummings, Martha Graham, Billie Holiday, Edward Hopper, Joan Mitchell, Charlie Parker, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Maurice Sendak, Patti Smith, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

In addition, the exhibit includes two social justice installations. In the first, a 20-foot-high window display at 70 Fifth Avenue at The New School building honors the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and so many others. The address was the home to the NAACP from 1914 until the mid-1920s. The second, A Monument to Choice at Gansevoort Plaza bears the inscription "I Stand for Choice." It is intended as an experiential and social media opportunity where people can show their support in standing for choice in all its meanings and iterations.

See the outdoor exhibition through October 30.  

47. Topdog/Underdog

Corey Hawkins (In the Heights) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) star as rivalry-riven siblings and card sharps, pointedly named Lincoln and Booth, in the first Broadway revival of Suzan-Lori Parks's Pulitzer Prize–winning 2001 two-hander. Kenny Leon (A Soldier’s Play) directs the play, which is widely considered one of the high-water marks of 21st-century America drama.

48. SummerStage 2022

When the city heats up, so too does SummerStage, one of the most anticipated summer concerts known for its stellar line-up. The City Parks Foundation series is a juggernaut among warm-weather concert presenters, booking everything from classic New York hip-hop artists in outerborough NYC parks to big-name indie-rock bands on the Central Park mainstage.

49. Ambush Comedy

Join Josh Johnson (Comedy Central's The Daily Show), Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central), and Brittany Cardwell (Drule, New York Comedy Fest) for stacked lineups of top comics from NYC and beyond every Wednesday at 7:30pm. 

Plus you can enjoy free beer from 7:30 to 8pm and there's a pizza raffle if you RSVP. What's not to love? Show up to Two Boots Williamsburg for the show.

50. The Facade Commission: Hew Locke, Gilt

Marvel at the sculptures by artist Hew Locke placed on the exterior of The Met. The gold-hued sculptures are part of the museum's third facade commission series. Three sculpture sit tucked into niches at the museum's facade into the likeness of trophies, two partial and two whole, that reference works of art in The Met collection. "At once visually stunning and critically incisive, Locke’s practice relies on the strategy of appropriation and an aesthetic of excess and theatricality to deconstruct iconographies of power and to explore global histories of conquest, migration, and exchange," The Met says.

Locke was born Scotland and raised in Guyana, a multiracial, multicultural nation in South America that was formed in the crucible of indigeneity, European colonialism, the African slave trade, and Indian indentureship. 

The Facade Commission: Hew Locke, Gilt is now on view outside of the musuem through May 22, 2023. 

51. Bharti Kher: Ancestor

Stand next to a new 18-foot-tall patinated bronze sculpture called Ancestor at the southeast entrance to Central Park. The colossal artwork depicts a universal mother figure linking our cultural and personal pasts and futures. Adorned with the heads of her 23 children that extend from her body, she embodies multiculturalism, pluralism, and interconnectedness. They manifest a sense of belonging and celebrate the mother as a keeper of wisdom and the eternal source of creation and refuge.

Ancestor is by New Delhi and London-based artist Bharti Kher, and the exhibition is presented by the Public Art Fund. See Ancestor for free at Doris C. Freedman Plaza through August 27, 2023. 

52. Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate

"Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate" at the Museum of the City of New York explores the relationship between New Yorkers and food, using the venue's back terrace as an exhibition space for the first time. 

“Behind every tempting package of processed food at the corner bodega; every carton of fresh berries from a street cart; and every enticing restaurant meal lies an intricate, massive and changing network of relationships,” reads an official press release about the indoor/outdoor show, which is slated to officially open on September 16 and run through the fall of 2023.

Visitors will get to browse through over 20 works by contemporary artists and designers that were tasked with using their respective crafts to come up with solutions to key global and local food-related challenges.

53. Banksy Building Castles in the Sky

Perhaps the most elusive artist in history is getting the New York treatment. "Banksy Building Castles in the Sky," one of the biggest exhibits featuring original works by the contemporary artist, has been so popular its run was extended until the end of the year. 

See it at the former International Center of Photography Museum at 250 Bowery Street. Tickets are available here.

54. Aubrey Beardsley, 150 Years Young

Celebrate the life and work of British artist Aubrey Beardsley at this free exhibit on his 150th birthday. The show explores the meteoric rise of Beardsley (1872–1898), a monumental figure in book and magazine illustration, graphic arts and poster design, as well as the history of gender and sexuality.

During Beardsley’s brief career from 1892 to 1898, cut short by his death from tuberculosis, he was a brilliant innovator in the British Art Nouveau and Decadent movements, creating daring black-and-white images for periodicals and books. He was equally famous as the consummate “bad boy,” using his images to satirize Victorian norms of conduct and push gender and sexual boundaries. The exhibition highlights the rebellious and insouciant quality of his art and writing, celebrating the eternally young Beardsley.

See "Aubrey Beardsley, 150 Years Young" at The Grolier Club, America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles through November 12. 

55. A Species Between Worlds: Our Nature, Our Screens

This new Chelsea gallery show will make you rethink your relationship with your cellphone.

Called “A Species Between Worlds: Our Nature, Our Screens,” it’s a free exhibition running through September 30 at Skylight Modern (537 West 27th Street) that explores how we interact with our smart devices. The two-story show features photography and poetry by John Mack presented alongside a month-long forum with high-profile speakers. 

A Species Between Worlds is open from Tuesday-Friday (noon-8pm), Saturday (10am-8pm), and Sunday (noon-5pm) at Skylight Modern (537 West 27th Street).

It’s free to attend, but special events require reserving tickets online. Here’s a full list of the programming this month.

56. SHOES: Anatomy, Identity, Magic

This new exhibit at The Museum at FIT would make Carrie Bradshaw's dreams come true. "SHOES: Anatomy, Identity, Magic" features 300 of the 5,000 pairs of shoes in the permanent collection at MFIT, the only museum in NYC dedicated solely to the art of fashion. 

The exhibition explores how shoe design is related to human anatomy and physiology, the importance of shoes as markers of identity ("Shoe are you?"), and the widespread belief in the “magical” power of shoes. Other highlights include a vignette devoted to shoe shopping, a history of high heels (17th century to the present), a section on sneakers, and a lexicon of designer shoes. You'll see everything from luxurious red velvet Tom Ford heels to the classic Doc Marten boot.

The museum is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from noon to 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.

57. Camp TWA

Bask in the nostalgia at Camp TWA. The iconic TWA Hotel at JFK Airport, which recently added bumper cars and a roller skating rink, is now summer fun to the next level with Camp TWA. Camp TWA promises some good old-fashioned fun with classic games. 

You can play checkers, chess, Connect 4, cornhole, croquet, Jenga, ping pong, tic-tac-toe and Yardzee all on the hotel tarmac near a 1958 Lockheed Constellation airplane-turned-cocktail lounge. 

When you’re ready for a snack, the camp cabin has got you covered with nostalgia-inducing fare like Goldfish, pretzels, and animal crackers. Wash it all down with lemonade, wine, beer, or a spiked seltzer. 

This all-ages experience is offered on Fridays from 4-8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 12-8pm, weather permitting, until November so get there soon to soak up the end-of-summer fun. 

58. Astroland Park 60th Anniversary Exhibit

Did you know that Coney Island was once home to a popular space-themed attraction with a giant rocket dubbed Astroland Park?

This year actually marks the 60th anniversary of Astroland Park’s 1962 opening (the attraction closed due to financial reasons back in 2008) and, to mark the occasion, the Coney Island History Project is debuting a new exhibit by Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park exploring the park’s and object’s history.

The free exhibit consists of informational panels that the non-profit organization has installed all throughout Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park in an effort to educate visitors on the subject.

The exhibit is on view now through October 30 during park hours.

59. UpDating

Nationally-recognized comedy show UpDating deals with dating hang-ups front and center at this live romantic experiment. Two New Yorkers will be paired on-stage for a blind date, and you get to join in on the magic (or the meltdown). The show comes from NY-Based Comedian Brandon Berman and Dating Blogger Harrison Forman. For more details you can check out UpDating's Instagram @updatingshow.

Upcoming shows are on: Monday, October 31.

60. Artshack Cafe

Artshack Cafe offers everything on its menu on ceramic pieces made in-house. What’s more, according to an official statement by the cafe, patrons are asked to “help reduce waste by bringing their own cups.” Looking for a coffee to-go? Expect it served in a ceramic to-go cup. The cafe is part of Artshack Brooklyn, a community-based ceramics studio that offers both free and subsidized programming for adults and children alike. In addition to not using single-use products, standout features of the Bed-Stuy cafe at 1129 Bedford Avenue by Monroe Street include an anti-racism library and a number of chairs shaped like bunnies that will make anyone’s selected orders from chef Silvia Barban’s menu taste that much better.

61. The Vinyl Lending Library

Brooklyn vinyl lovers are in luck because the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library has just opened a Vinyl Lending Library to its cardholders, giving them access to 400 albums spanning genres (hip-hop, pop, classical, country, show tunes and more) that they can listen to on-site as well as borrow for up to three weeks. You just need your library card. Listening stations can be found on the first floor. 

62. ‘New York: 1962-1964’

A new exhibit at the Jewish Museum presents a pivotal three-year period in the history of art and culture in New York City 1962-1964, when the world was rapidly changing. Across two floors, the immersive exhibition presents more than 180 works of art, including painting, sculpture, photography, and film, alongside fashion, design, dance, poetry, and ephemera.

During the timeframe explored in this exhibition, events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963) and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (1963) all took place, changing the social and political landscape of New York City and the nation. “A generation of New York-based painters, sculptors, dancers, filmmakers, and poets rose to prominence, incorporating material directly from their urban surroundings and producing works that were as rich and complex as the city itself.”

“New York: 1962-1964” is the last project conceived and curated by Germano Celant, the renowned art historian, critic, and curator who passed away in 2020. 

It's on view until January 8, 2023.

63. NYC Glamping on the Brooklyn waterfront

NYC Glamping is offering stays in converted shipping containers that have been placed at 1 Oak Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, otherwise known as Skyline Drive-In. The drive-in is known for its incredible views of the skyline and now it’s open to guests who book a stay. Each container is comprised of a comfortable, cozy room with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and a bathroom with a shower, and has sweeping, unobstructed views of the city and the river. Each stay comes with free admission to the Skyline Drive-In movies and is within walking distance to Transmitter Park and several local restaurants and Greenpoint attractions. Normally this kind of waterfront access and prime location comes at a hefty price.

64. ArtsDistrict Brooklyn

ArtsDistrict Brooklyn, also referred to as AD/BK, is a new immersive arts venue in Greenpoint at 25 Franklin Street. To celebrate the opening of the venue, sure to become part and parcel of New York's larger devotion to all things experiential, AD/BK is hosting the U.S. premiere of Limitless AI, a 70-minute show that first debuted at the Atelier des Lumières museum in Paris. 

Two other shows will be mounted on premise simultaneously: Flight and Séance. Both created by London-based company Darkfield, the two immersive, audio experiences will be presented in complete darkness inside customized 40-foot shipping containers. How cool?

65. Kimono Style: The John C. Weber Collection

Get a closer look at more than 60 kimonos at the Met Museum that will show how these traditional Japanese garments transformed over their history. Across the gallery, these gorgeous kimonos will be paired along with Western garments, Japanese paintings, prints, and decorative art objects in thematic and chronological order, from the costumes worn for Japan’s traditional forms of theater, Noh and Kyōgen, to the western-influence of the second half of the 20th century.

66. Sunset from Soissons Landing

Now through October 31, Governors Island's historic Soissons Landing and its bars and restaurants will be open late every night of the week. Previously, the last ferry off the island typically left before the sun set. The area will be open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday, and until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays so that visitors can enjoy delicious food and drink from Island Oyster, Taco Vista and Gitano Island, and stay later at QC NY Spa.

67. Subterranean Date Night at The Django

Descend into The Django (l2 6th Avenue, The Roxy Hotel, Cellar Level) and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The subterranean jazz club, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, was modeled after the boîtes of Paris. The venue consists of two cocktail bars, an open dining space, and a stage for live performances with a state-of-the-art sound system. The Django offers a full dinner menu and handcrafted cocktails, all partnered with a brilliant entertainment lineup. Check out the schedule here.

68. The full New York Aquarium

Superstorm Sandy devastated New York City, destroying homes and businesses, but it also flooded the New York Aquarium so badly that parts of it have been closed to the public for the past decade. Now, after completely rebuilding these galleries with help from FEMA, New York State and New York City, NY Aquarium is open in full—you can see all of it—"Spineless," the PlayQuarium, "Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" Glover’s Reef, the Conservation Hall, the Sea Cliffs, the Aquatheater, the Seaside Café and more.

69. Gitano Island

Governors Island continues to be the hottest destination in New York this season, with a new beach club dubbed Gitano Island officially staking its claim in the area. The effort follows the Tulum-inspired tropical jungle restaurant, Gitano Garden of Love, which operated four successful seasons smack-dab in the middle of SoHo in Manhattan. The new venue on Governors Island has opened and taken over 27,000-square-feet of space on the island, right next to the ferry terminal overlooking the Manhattan skyline. 

70. Living with The Walking Dead

The Museum of the Moving Image's "Living with The Walking Dead" features original costumes and props, concept art, storyboards, scripts and prosthetic makeup material that highlight the show’s origins, production and impact. 

It also has multiple screening series and public events over a six-month span for those interested in the show and learning more about behind the scenes. All in all, there are 500 objects including more than 300 props and production materials to see. 

71. VALE(mini)GOLF

It seems like we're living through the summer of the mini-golf. Beautiful Williamsburg hotel The William Vale just launched a new bespoke, nine-hole mini-golf course dubbed VALE(mini)GOLF. For $15 per round ($10 for kids 12 and younger), guests will get to play on the new course on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon through 9pm and Fridays and Sundays from 11am through 9pm. Bonus points: $1 of each player's admission fee will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC). The organization has actually partnered with the hotel to launch the new endeavor.

72. See an outdoor movie

There's nothing more "summer in NYC" than taking in a movie in the great outdoors, under the hardly-seen stars and set to the humming soundtrack of the city. Looking to see a new movie any night of the week? We've got them all listed here.

73. Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril

Insects are misunderstood but a new macro photography exhibition at AMNH hopes to change that. Photographer Levon Biss has photographed 40 endangered species (selected from specimens in the Museum’s world-class research collection), which will be shown as large-format photographs as large as 4.5 by 8 feet in the Akeley Gallery and the adjacent East Galleria.

Some of the extinct and endangered specimens are more than 100 years old but are almost brought back to life through the photos that show their extreme detail and intricate features, including the well-known monarch butterfly and the nine-spotted ladybug to the remote Lord Howe Island stick insect of Australia (thought to be extinct for most of the 20th century until a tiny population was discovered and bred in captivity starting in 2003.) Each photograph in Extinct and Endangered took about three weeks to create from up to 10,000 individual images shot using special lenses.

74. Massive sculptures by Wyatt Kahn

"Life in the Abstract" is a new exhibition of large-scale sculptures by artist Wyatt Kahn that has landed inside City Hall Park. Passersby will notice seven vibrant rust-red Cor-Ten steel artworks that combine elements of geometric abstraction with playful "ready-made" objects from everyday life. Translation: one the monuments depicts a pair of glasses just hanging out on an imaginary shape while another one is a massive comb resting on another undefined piece.

"Parade" is the largest of the seven sculptures included in the installation and it weighs almost 3,300 pounds while measuring over 15 feet wide. The other pieces are named "Untitled," "Umbrella," "Painting the Painter," "Morning," "Sideways Curl" and "The Friends."

See it on display through February 26, 2023. 

75. Swingers NoMad

Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London, just opened and has three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings. "Crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft cocktails are served by caddies on the course, and at Swingers NoMad, there will be six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails from London and D.C., as well as 12 cocktails created specifically for Swingers NoMad, private rooms you can rent, an opulent clubhouse and four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

76. Putting Green on the waterfront

Putting Green, an 18-hole course on a 15,000-square-foot tiered deck on the North Williamsburg riverfront has reopened at the former Con Edison site that now belongs to developer Two Trees. The course aims to serve two purposes—one, to provide a fun time to New Yorkers, and two, to teach them about climate change, green and blue infrastructure, animal habitats, energy, and emissions. Each hole offers up a different scene—hole 1 is "Down the drain," showing how litter and debris get washed down storm drains and into waterways. Hole 2, "Whale Fall Feast," shows what happens when a whale dies and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Hole 15, is "The Big Oyster" by you guessed it, the Billion Oyster Project. Other holes feature polar bears, a windmill, a cow, and a depiction of sea-level rise. 

Local brewery, Other Half, will be setting a bar and serving beer while Mom & Icepops will be selling popsicles!

77. A new musical steakhouse

The newly opened Vinyl Steakhouse is named for its dual conceits: music and meat. Musical memorabilia factors into the decor. Vintage-style show posters line the walls, prints depict Run-DMC, Debbie Harry and the Beastie Boys and shelves are filled with album sleeves. And, beyond those show tunes, expect to hear full sides from among the 2,000-plus records collected by sommelier-owner Kevin Flannery, who operates the restaurant with his somm wife Sofia. Steak, of course, factors significantly into the opening menu, including an 8- or 10-ounce filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip and dry aged porterhouse for two. Classic steakhouse sides like mac and cheese (this one truffled), creamed spinach (turned carbonara with pancetta, parm and egg yolk) and a potato pavé piled with bacon, chives, gouda and jalapeño are also available. 

78. Date Night at The Met Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Date Nights" give visitors an opportunity to become acquainted with artwork with informal drop-in gallery chats, listen in on gorgeous live music and sip on yummy cocktails.

"Date Nights" are held every Friday and Saturday night in the American Wing Café from 5pm to 9pm. Make it a night out with The Met's buy-one-get-one drink special and snack on light bites in the American Wing Café. More details can be found at metmuseum.org/datenight. 

There's literally no excuse not to go—the date nights come with museum admission, which is always pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and NY, NJ, and CT students with valid ID. And this time, advance tickets are not required. 

79. Life of a Neuron at ARTECHOUSE

Prepare to take a walk inside your brain when visiting "Life of a Neuron," ARTECHOUSE's latest immersive exhibition inside Chelsea Market on view through November 13. 

The show, mounted in collaboration with the Society for Neuroscience, took three years to create—and for good reason. Neuroscientists and artists came together to reconstruct a human neuron from the prefrontal cortex, which anchors the exhibit and will help visitors follow the development of an "average" brain from pre-birth to death. That's no small feat.

Diluting a vast amount of complicated information into digestible bits understandable by the average non-scientist, the exhibit will showcase artistic renditions of a brain at the cellular level.

80. Baylander Steel Beach

Baylander Steel Beach is many things: an aircraft carrier turned restaurant, a floating dining and drinking destination, the smallest aircraft carrier in the world (it's 133 feet long) and an absolute must-visit before the temps fall.

After first launching in July of 2020, the former US Navy helicopter landing trainer is back for 2022 at its usual location: the West Harlem Piers in Upper Manhattan at 125th Street. Boasting a 4,000-square-foot outdoor deck, the bar-slash-eatery was peppered with picnic tables on both the upper and lower decks in previous years.

In addition to delicious seafood and the sort of fare that delights bar goers and settles a drinking stomach (lobster rolls, tater tots, fish and chips), patrons can look forward to a slew of nautical themed cocktails, including the Mermaid Potion (Empress gin, Rockey's botanical liqueur, Fever Tree elderflower tonic and lemon), the Pirates' Punch (Captain Morgan spiced rum, mandarin and pomegranate liqueurs, pineapple and fresh citrus juices) and the on-the-nose Boat Fashioned (Bulleit bourbon, blood orange vermouth, burlesque bitters).

81. Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure

If you have ever wanted to get inside an artist's head and understand where they were coming from, "Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure" will be the closest thing you'll experience to that. This major exhibition, opening through Monday, October 31, at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea, has an advantage that many other shows do not have—it was organized and curated by Basquiat's family (with famed architect David Adjaye and design firm Pentagram), who have done a painstaking job of showing both the famous artist's intimate side and his genius.

The exhibit, which features more than 200 rarely seen works, isn't merely Basquiat's work hung on walls, it immerses viewers in creatively designed spaces to give a sense of place and context. It's broken up into distinct and vibrant categories—"1960," "KINGS COUNTY," "WORLD FAMOUS," "IDEAL" "ART GALLERY,"  "PALLADIUM," and "PLACE JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT"—that viewers can float through. Basquiat's work is front and center of it all, but certain highlights make his work come alive as if it had just been painted. Visitors can take another step to fully immerse themselves by scanning a Spotify code to access a playlist of music the artist listened to.

82. Dinosaur Safari

An immersive experience with massive, ultra-realistic dinosaurs that takes place on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo is back!

Dinosaur Safari asks visitors to the zoo to traverse a path filled with 52 life-sized dinos and pterosaurs through a wooded area, where they will see the largest flying animal to ever live (the Quetzalcoatlus) and, of course, the Tyrannosaurus rex and the vegetarian Omeisaurus that stretches an impressive 60 feet long. When it first opened in 2019, it was a ride that used shuttles to introduce people to the dinos. Now, it's a 1/4 mile-long walk-through experience with 52 dinos rather than 40.

To make things as realistic as possible, the Bronx Zoo teamed up with a paleontologist from the American Museum of Natural History—Don Lessem even served as an advisor on the original Jurassic Park! The experience is topped off with an ADA-accessible fossil dig area for kids to play in, plus some additional dino-themed activities around the zoo. All ages. 

83. Cherry On Top Comedy

Looking for a treat? Head to Ample Hills' Gowanus Scoop Shop rooftop for a comedy show hosted by Savannah DesOrmeaux (X Change Rate) and Jenny Gorelick (NY Comedy Festival) featuring a heavily female, queer, and non-binary line-up on select Fridays. Pizza and ice cream will be available for purchase at the show.

84. Ladies Comedy Night

Ladies take over Route 66 Smokehouse and Comedy Club on Wednesdays. Hosted by Alia Janine, the show features a heavy female line-up featuring some of today's top and up and coming comedians. Past and upcoming comedians include Janeane Garofalo, Usama Siddiquee, Chanel Omari, Dan Soder, Francesca Fiorentini, and Chanel Ali. Food and drink specials are offered all night and there's a party afterward. Each ticket comes with one drink.

85. QC NY Spa on Governors Island

The luxurious Italian wellness spa QC NY has opened to the public, bringing the elegance and rejuvenation of a European spa to Governors Island, but with New York City flavor. It's immediately clear when you enter the spa that it was made to feel like home. From its cozy reception area decorated with custom-made furniture from Italy to its welcoming relaxation spaces with plush leather chairs and massive pillows you can sprawl out on, it feels like you're staying at a retreat with New York Harbor views. Since it's on the edge of the island, a short walk from Soissons Landing, looking out the windows offers gorgeous blue water views and glimpses of the city skyline. Because of its layout, the spa feels secluded from the rest of the island. Click through to read more about the new spa.

86. Magic After Hours

Once a week, after closing time, 10 people convene at the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there's a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine's show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.

87. Celebrating the City: Recent Acquisitions from the Joy of Giving Something

Head to the Museum of the City of New York to see 100 photographs selected from the more than 1,000 images recently gifted to the Museum by the Joy of Giving Something (JGS), a non-profit organization dedicated to the photographic arts. Images range from documentary-style to quirky and from architectural to atmospheric.

“Celebrating the City” features works by more than 30 creators new to the MCNY collection, including multiple images from Helen Levitt’s dynamic and celebrated street photography; Sylvia Plachy’s playful and eccentric examination of the people, animals, and moments of NYC; and Michael Spano’s slice-of-life city shots spanning the 1990s and 2000s. Other key figures in 20th-century photography are incorporated into the show, including Ilse Bing, Bruce Davidson, Mitch Epstein, Elliott Erwitt, Robert Frank, William Kline, Saul Leiter, Alfred Stieglitz, Rosalind Solomon, and Paul Strand, to name a few—all capturing indelible, sometimes implausible, intimate, and often incredible moments of the city.

You'll even see a llama in Times Square, fireworks over the Brooklyn Bridge, polar bears playing in a pool at the zoo as well as subways, skylines, shadows, and stolen moments.

88. Kinky's Dessert Bar

Kinky’s Dessert Bar, at 181 Orchard Street, is decked out in very explicit decor—a ton of sexually provocative posters and magazine covers adorn the walls and an upstairs seating area—the two-floor destination will function as both a bar serving drinks and desserts and, eventually, an event space. In addition to racy waffles, patrons will revel in a menu filled with all sorts of cookies and cupcakes. Yes, the treats are just as delicious as they are visually entertaining. (We tried them!) Standouts include the oatmeal raisin cookie Lick Me, the So Anxious vanilla cupcake made with creamy vanilla buttercream, the I Like it Rough (a red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting) and the Beg for More Banana—a waffle filled with homemade banana pudding and glazed with a banana cream. In a funny gimmick, customers can choose their waffle to be a dicky or a va-jayjay.

89. Comedy Nite Live (with free karaoke)

Comedy Nite Live, a weekly stand-up comedy show, features new comedians every week on Thursdays at 9pm at RPM Underground. Past comedians have included Usama Siddique, Zach Zimmerman, Jocelyn Chia, Derek Gaines, Robby Slowik and Kareem Green among others. What's cool is that the $5 ticket price includes an hour of free private-room karaoke after the show.

90. Our Composite Nations: Frederick Douglass’ America

The New-York Historical Society is bringing Frederick Douglass’ vision of freedom, citizenship and equal rights to life in a new ongoing special installation. A range of artifacts and documents illustrate Douglass’ vision, including illustrations from the popular press of the time and scrapbooks of articles by or about Douglass compiled by his sons that also documented his work to usher in a more just country.

Visitors will also see speech excerpt from his contemporary, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, who raises the question of gender in step with Douglass’ ideas about racial equality. Political cartoons and a copy of an editorial that Douglass wrote about Chinese immigrants’ right to belong in the U.S. in the Chinese American newspaper are also on view.

91. The Roaring 20's: From Harlem and Beyond

Every Monday evening, you can enjoy Prohibition-era cocktails and live jazz channeling the spirit and energy of the Harlem Renaissance at Sugar Monk. You'll have your pick of Prohibition and Pre-Prohibition cocktails (Sidecar, Clover Club, Bijou, French 75, The Boothby, The Bee's Knees, Hanky Panky and others) to sip on while Max Bessesen and his trio play on from 8 to 10pm. There's no cover, just make a reservation on Resy.

92. SESH Comedy

Sesh Comedy is the only BYOB comedy club in NYC and features comics from Comedy Central, HBO, Colbert, Netflix, Amazon, and others. It's "Comedy Cellar if the Comedy Cellar was $10 and when you arrived they handed you a free drink!" That's right, you get a free alcoholic drink with your ticket (if you're 21 or older). BYOB is also encouraged.

93. On Location Tours Sex and the City Hotspots Tour

On Location Tours is once again offering its popular On Location Tours Sex and the City Hotspots Tour as both a public and private sightseeing experience. This bus tour highlights several famous NYC buildings and locations featured in the series Sex and the City, all from the comfort of a heated bus this winter.

On the tour, you'll see Greenwich Village, the Meatpacking District, and SoHo and its one-of-a-kind boutiques, department stores and designer shops with tour guides who are local New York City actresses excited to share facts along with fun trivia questions about the buildings and locations.

Each tour guest will also receive a free Magnolia Bakery cupcake (and those over 21 can sip discounted cosmos at the famous NYC bar ONieal’s). 

Public tours run several times a week, including Fridays and Saturdays at 3pm. Private tours are offered daily, and a limo buyout option is available.

94. Ssäm Bar karaoke and live-fire meats

A high-end destination has opened at the South Street Seaport, combining a love for singalongs with delicious tabletop grills. Upstairs at Ssäm Bar is Momofuku's latest restaurant, this one located at Pier 17 (89 South Street, to be precise), on the second floor of Momofuku Ssäm Bar. While overlooking the East River, you'll get to sing your heart out to your favorite karaoke songs in one of two private rooms (each one accommodates up to 10 people) where you'll also get to order from the entire Asian-influenced menu. 

And because there is no karaoke without cocktails, here's a bit about that: from the Psycho Beach Party (mezcal, cynar, passionfruit, pineapple and blood orange) to the Toki Hot Toddy (Suntory Toki whisky, genmaicha tea and lemon) and the Suit & Chair (chai-infused rum, rockey's liqueur, ginger, salted plum and a chinotto float), you probably never have had such high-end drinks while screaming your lungs out to Prince's "Purple Rain."

95. A self-guided literary walking tour of Brooklyn

A new audio tour by the Brooklyn Public Library seeks to explore the lives of the characters and authors that call the borough home in fiction and in real life. From Patti Smith to Biggie Smalls, Howard Zinn to Tanwi Nandini Islam, the guide covers a total of 16 writers over eight miles of Brooklyn. You can also expect to stop at important public libraries the likes of Washington Irving and Clinton Hill, which, according to an official press release, "played an important role in the lives of the featured author[s]." Expect the entire tour, which can virtually start off from anywhere in Brooklyn, to take at least two hours to complete, depending on how many stops you wish to make along the way.

96. Alamo Drafthouse Manhattan

Alamo Drafthouse, the cinema known for serving restaurant-quality food and drinks during its screenings, now has a second New York location in Manhattan. Adding to its downtown Brooklyn location, Alamo Drafthouse's second NYC location is at 28 Liberty St. with 14 auditoriums that seat up to 578 guests in total. The theater chain is known for its luxury reclining seats with built-in tables and cupholders. It's like being in an elite private screening room, but anyone can buy a ticket. 

Movie buffs at Alamo's Lower Manhattan location will be treated to 4K digital projection and 7.1 Dolby surround sound. The opening screenings include current blockbusters like No Time to Die, and Marvel's Eternals as well as classics like 1933's original King Kong. 

97. Comedy Nite Live (with free karaoke)

Comedy Nite Live is a new weekly stand-up comedy showthat features new comedians every week on Thursdays at 9pm at RPM Underground. Past comedians have included Usama Siddique, Zach Zimmerman, Jocelyn Chia, Derek Gaines, Robby Slowik and Kareem Green among others. What's cool is that the $5 ticket price includes an hour of free private-room karaoke after the show.

98. Roosevelt Island's first rooftop bar

Roosevelt Island, the storied former home to NYC's smallpox hospital and insane asylum, has a rooftop bar and lounge open to the public. At Panorama Room atop the newly opened Graduate Roosevelt Island hotel on the southern end of the island, the views are really unparalleled — perhaps even the best of any rooftop lounge.

Located on the 18th floor of the hotel, the "jewel box" space by Med Abrous and Marc Rose, who are food and beverage partners of the hotel and co-founders of the hospitality group Call Mom, opens up to incredible views of the boroughs, the bridges and the East River, which shine like stars at night. 

99. Arcadia Earth

Immersive art exhibit Arcadia Earth aims to inspire visitors artistically and ethically, as it uses 15 rooms to spotlight the environmental challenges that our planet is facing (such as overfishing, food waste, and climate change).

This exhibit will not only leave visitors in awe, but it will help support Oceanic Global, an organization devoted to raising awareness around our aquatic ecosystems. In addition, a tree will also be planted for every ticket sold, making it a perfect gift for your eco-conscious friends!

100. Temperance Wine Bar

Taste your way around the world at a this wine bar that offers dozens of international wines, all by the glass. Temperance Wine Bar (40 Carmine Street) is a neighborhood drinking spot with a fun energy and eclectic design featuring local artists. Most importantly, there's plenty to drink.

At Temperance, Ojeda-Pons has curated an extensive menu of over 100 rotating international wines by the glass, as well as a selection of eight wines on tap. The wines range from affordable to higher-end.

101. The world's largest Harry Potter Store

At the Harry Potter Store New York, Wizards and witches can shop from the world's largest collection of Harry Potter merch across 21,000 square feet at 935 Broadway in the Flatiron District. Every detail of Harry Potter Store New York has been intricately designed, from the decor sitting on the shelves above all the incredible merch (yes, there are full house robes) to the design of the store itself, which has a room full of gorgeous HP stationary by MinaLima, massive models of Fawkes the Phoenix and a moving griffin as well as a spiral staircase that descends into a space made to look like the Ministry of Magic. 

The best things to do in the fall in NYC

Fall in NYC is everything you could hope for in a season. First, the city gets delightfully spooky for Halloween. With thrilling Halloween events and Halloween festivals happening in every borough, it’s easy to get in the spirit of things! Aside from pumpkins and funky costumes though, you can keep the autumn excitement going by leaf peeping around the city, warming up with whiskey, parades, virtual parties and so much more. Autumn in NYC is tough to match!

NYC events in October 2020

'Tis the season to get spooky! But beyond the best Halloween events, but there are also plenty of other awesome NYC events in October 2020. Use our events calendar to plan the quintessential month for leaf peeping and spotting fall foliage, pumpkin picking and more things to do in fall.

Kick off fall with some epic cultural events, you don't want to miss happening like Open House New York, Oktoberfest and new haunted pop-up drive throughs.

RECOMMENDED: Full NYC events calendar for 2020

The best Halloween events for 2020 in NYC

2020 has been scary enough, but we're throwing the spookiness into high gear for Halloween this month. Typically, October is filled with costumed parties, jump scares at haunted houses, corn mazes and parades, but this year will be a little different. For one, the Village Halloween Parade is canceled, and it's likely most of the city's regularly scheduled scary haunts will be as well given the current pandemic. That being said, there are still quite a few things still taking place, and with Halloween (finally) taking place on a Saturday, it'll be easier to celebrate. Don't bother breaking out your sewing kit, New York's greatest Halloween stores have plenty of options to make you look really spooky. Make sure to check out our NYC events in October too for even more activities to finish off the month in killer spirits. 

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Halloween in NYC

NYC events calendar for 2020

Want to know what’s happening in New York today, this weekend or in the coming months? Use our NYC events calendar 2020 as your guide to find the best things to do in the fall, winter and spring. Major events to look forward to this time of year include The Village Halloween Parade, Oktoberfest and the best places to see fall foliage in the city. Ready to unleash your inner culture vulture? Peep our top picks for the best art shows and concerts this year. All you need to do is buy the tickets!