The best things to do in NYC this week

Coney Island is a New Yorker's playground when summer hits, from the Mermaid Parade to Luna Park. And now it’s adding free movies to the warm-weather fun. The outdoor screenings will be held on the beach at West 12th Street beginning at sunset, and attendees are welcome to bring their own blankets or chairs to plop down and enjoy the movies right in the sand. The cinephilic festivities kick off on Monday, June 26, with the 1979 cult classic The Warriors, which centers, of course, on a New York City street gang who must fight their way from the north Bronx to their home turf of—you guessed it—Coney Island. On July Monday, July 10, you can settle in for a screening of the Tom Cruise juggernaut Top Gun: Maverick, and hang out with Mario and Luigi and the rest of the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom during a showing of The Super Mario Bros. Movie on July 24. T

On Monday, June 26, renowned Italian conductor Alvise Casellati is bringing a performance of his Opera Italiana is in the Air to St. Bart’s Church from 7pm to 8:30pm, the second stop of a tour that also includes Rome’s Piazza di Siena, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and Art Basel in Miami, Florida. Pulling opera from the pomp and, frankly, priciness of the theater, Casellati’s open-air performances are made to be free of charge, informal in nature and accessible to all. 

This new comedy shows takes the "daytime talk show" concept to the next level. The title alone tells you all you need to know. It's known as PopOp!: The Pop Culture Talk Show that Pops Off. Jenny Gorelick hosts the show with a panel discussion, desk pieces, and wild games covering everything from Mario Party to the writer's strike with equally spicy takes. 

Here's the lineup for the next few months: 

— Monday, May 22 at 9:30pm featuring panelists Alise Morales (Betches), Chris Burns (Netflix), Zach Schiffman (New York Magazine), and Dylan Adler (The Late Late Show with James Corden)

— Monday, June 12 at 9:30pm featuring panelists Hunter Harris (Gossip Girl, Vulture, Hung Up Newsletter) and more to be announced 

— Monday, June 26 at 9:30pm featuring panelists George Civeris & Sam Taggart (Straightio Lab) and Bobby Finger & Lindsey Weber (Who? Weekly)

— Monday, July 10 at 9:30pm with panelists to be announced

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, is teaming up with the Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA) to bring guests a new and exciting experience in the sky. A group of expert astronomers at the AAA, a volunteer-run non-profit organization, will guide guests through an enchanting tour of the sky with state-of-the-art telescopes on SUMMIT’s outdoor terrace. The experience on the skyscraper’s 91st floor (1,000 feet above the sidewalk) will help guests witness celestial marvels, mysteries of distant galaxies and the wonders of the solar system. Or, you know, you may just see a cute constellation. Events will be held throughout the summer, with next-day backups already booked for rain. The stargazing schedule starts on Wednesday, June 28, starting 8:30pm (Rain Date: June 29), and will continue the following Wednesday, July 26, starting 8:30pm (Rain Date: July 27), Wednesday, August 23, starting 8pm (Rain Date: August 24), Wednesday, September 20, starting 7pm (Rain Date: September 21); and Wednesday, October 25, starting 6pm (Rain Date: October 26).

In its first year, the Brooklyn Night Market quickly grew a devoted following, attracting thousands to Industry City for an open-air food and drink festival. The market is back for 2023 on the last Monday of each month from May to October, and it's bigger than ever. 

Dine around with an extensive selection of cuisines from around the world, as well as live music and other activities. The event strives to celebrate the diverse food and vibrant culture in New York City. In the market’s second season, expect more than 50 vendors producing dishes and libations from all corners of the world.

Vendors include Perros Locos, Tacos El Guero, Downeast Lobstah, ROSTACY, Sassy's Fishcakes!, Nadas Colombian Rainbow Empanadas, HangryDog, Brooklyn Dim Sum Co, Twisted Potato, Inc., Patok by Rach LLC, Rosie's Empanadas, Pinche vegana and lots more. 

The market runs from 4-10pm on May 29, June 26, July 31, August 28, September 25 and October 30 from 4-10pm. Find it at Industry City, 36th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue.

The Museum of Drag (MoDrag), a new pop-up museum dedicated to preserving and honoring the legacy of drag through multimedia exhibitions from around the world, just opened its inaugural exhibition—a vibrant celebration of the past, present, and future of drag—but you’ve got one more week to see it. At Brick Aux Gallery, located at 628 Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, the exhibit runs through July 4 and gives visitors a chance to engage with drag herstorians through weekly lectures and performances, enriching their understanding of the vibrant art form recently attracting political controversy.  

Sushidelic, a psychedelic Kawaii-themed sushi restaurant complete with a sushi counter conveyor belt and plenty of kitschy, neon decor is celebrating its grand opening on Wednesday, June 28, at 177 Lafayette Street. Sushidelic’s menu features sushi dishes that come to you on a conveyor belt, plus more Japanese favorites and vegetarian dishes—all created in collaboration with several Japanese and New York-based chefs, including Hiroki Abe from nearby EN Japanese Brasserie.

Back for its second year, Backyard at Hudson Yards will offer outdoor entertainment including a free, eight-week Summer Concert Series programmed by The Bowery Presents. Featured artists include Thuy (June 28) and The 502s  (August 2), performing on a stage at Hudson Yards’ Public Square & Gardens. After the concerts, Hudson Yards’ bars and restaurants will offer specials to keep the party going. Artists for July 5th, July 12th, July 19th, July 26th, and August 9th performance dates will be announced in the coming weeks.  Additional daily programming includes DJ performances by bicoastal musical sensation Dart Collective, children’s music classes by Mozart for Munchkins, live sports (including women's soccer, baseball, tennis, gold and more) on a 30-foot Big Screen, Tuesday and Thursday morning fitness classes curated by Rhone, a rotating selection of food trucks (think burgers, birria, Filipino fare and more)and more events throughout the season. Come September, free movie screenings will also be added to the calendar.

Celebrate independent theater this week! The 14Y Theater, League of Independent Theater, and IndieSpace are hosting a series of events celebrating their work from June 26 through July 1. From an IndieSpace anniversary celebration to a pool party, there’s a lot to see and do. 

Watch comedians try to make it through five minutes of performance without being “gonged off” by three randomly chosen audience members in the Red Room of KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street) on Tuesday, June 27. The show is free and will feature a mix of comedians, musicians and performers. 

For a night of drag, fashion and comedy, head to “Putería con Papirossa,” a comedy show that features queer and BIPOC comedians and pays homage to Papirossa’s roots in Miami and the Caribbean. Putería (on Thursday, June 29, at 10pm at Brooklyn Comedy Collective) aims to blend drag, fashion, and comedy into a tastefully fierce production, interlaced with pre-taped sketches; a live drag show, with backup dancers included; stand-up comedians from SNL, The Tonight Show, The Problem with Jon Stewart, Netflix is a Joke and Comedy Central; and reggaeton music between every act to “ensure the entire show feels like a night out in a hyper-gay Latinx club.”

Stalks of corn stand tall among the towering skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan as part of a new exhibition at The Morgan Library & Museum which pays tribute to Indigenous culture. The exhibit, called "Nora Thompson Dean: Lenape Teacher and Herbalist," focuses on the life of Nora Thompson Dean (1907–1984), who worked to preserve Lenape culture. Featuring letters, photographs and a Three Sisters garden, the show's on view now through September 17. 

Head out to Projectorfest, a showcase of ambitious multimedia-fueled solo comedy shows, at Caveat on June 27-30. Over a dozen comedians and storytellers will use animations, PowerPoints, videos, live camera feeds, interactive graphics, and more to bring their sets to life. Each performance includes two 30-minute shows. 

Now, in partnership with the Union Square Partnership, CityPickle is bringing the paddle fun to Union Square with free pickleball courts as part of the park's annual "Summer in the Square" programming. Presented by Visit Seattle and Paragon Sports, there will be four free public courts every Thursday from 9am to 7pm starting June 15 and running through August 3. One-hour court bookings as well as paddle rentals will be completely free of charge, but you will need to make your reservations one week in advance at noon via the official CityPickle website or app.

Frigid New York hosts this annual showcase of subversive LGBTQ+ comedy, storytelling, short film and theater, running June 15-July 3 as part of Pride Month.

Queerly aims to provide a space for queer artists who’ve rarely or never seen their identities portrayed on stage to be able to represent themselves and tell their stories their way. This year, in light of the barrage of anti-trans legislation across the country, the festival is prioritizing work by or featuring trans artists.

Shows include Two Foreskins Walk into a Bar, Transhumance, and The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen. Here's the full schedule.

Shop from Ukrainian designers at this new pop-up on the Lower East Side, running from June 23-July 2. Five Ukrainian designers will showcase their summer collections at Sunflower Network’s pop-up concept space located at 21 Avenue B. 

Featured designers include Bibliotheque, Syndicate Original, Riot Division and Etnodim. All the pieces in the pop-up were designed and manufactured in Ukraine, then hand-carried from Kyiv to New York by Sunflower Network’s own Dean Ross and Jack Chase. The pop-up serves as a fundraising vehicle for "Project Horizon," Sunflower Network’s new project helping to build a hospital in Western Ukraine.

The Sunflower Network is a nonprofit organized by a New York native. Since the start of the invasion in Ukraine, the organization has delivered more than $3 million in humanitarian aid to those in need. Sunflower Network hosted a galley featuring Ukrainian artists last fall in NYC. 

Watch an awesome movie while hanging out on Intrepid’s flight deck at sunset! This week, on June 30, see Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

The movie will be played on a huge inflatable screen. Doors open at 7pm and the movie starts at sunset. Make sure to bring some blankets and lawn chairs along. You can also bring your own food and drinks (alcohol is not permitted, though), and light snacks will be sold at the event. 

Fair warning: the spots fill up fast—so make sure to get there pretty early!

Muggles, take note: You won’t need to travel through Platform 9¾ to get to Hogwarts. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is right here in New York City for a limited time.

The touring show, “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” is now open in Herald Square, and it’s going transport you. Through the use of dramatic lighting, set design, interactive technology and even scent, the exhibit will make you feel like you are actually there—in Hagrid’s hut, in potions class, dining in the Great Hall, learning how to fight the dark arts, fighting the Battle of Hogwarts and more.

Tickets are on sale now through October and start at $29 for adults. 

Bushwick Inlet Park’s Summer Music Series just announced that programming will return to the Williamsburg Waterfront for a six-week lineup of free concerts. The series started in the summer of 2021, when the city was just starting to reemerge, especially outdoors. Concerts take place at 86 Kent Avenue on the waterfront plaza of Bushwick Inlet Park with jazz, Caribbean, Latin and folk music performances will be held every Thursday at 6:30pm from June 22 — July 27. This year’s music slate includes Tambor y Caña, JFA All-Stars, Bombayo, Juana Luna, Gerry Eastman & Friends, Jackson Lynch & Friends and more.

This new night market celebrates all things vegan. The Vegan Night Market coming to Central Park this summer will be the city's first night market celebrating plant-powered eats.

You'll get the chance to taste vegan foods from a variety of local vendors while listening to live music in a crowd of like-minded folks. Whether you're a seasoned vegan or curious about trying some plant-based meals, all are welcome.

Find the Vegan Night Market at Wollman Rink in Central Park from 4-10pm every Tuesday through October 10. It's free to enter. The market's hosted by MHG Events, who also run the Uptown, Brooklyn and Bronx Night Markets.

Get sweaty on Wednesdays for these free "Wellness Wednesday" classes hosted by the Flatiron Nomad Partnership. Classes include outdoor yoga, high intensity interval training (HIIT), Pilates, boxing, dance-inspired cardio, and strength training classes. They're all led by local studios.

Find the classes on Wednesday evenings on the Flatiron South Public Plaza along Broadway, just south of 23rd Street. The classes—in their iconic setting—celebrate the Flatiron NoMad district’s reputation as New York City’s “Fit District,” home to more than 50 fitness studios and gyms.

The beloved Movie Nights series is coming back to Bryant Park this summer, and it’s got an exciting new partner: Paramount+. The streaming juggernaut has entered into a multiyear deal with Bryant Park to support its outdoor movie series, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer, making it the park’s longest-running program.

The newly dubbed "Paramount+ Movie Nights at Bryant Park" series runs through Monday, August 14.

Here’s the full lineup:

• June 19: Dream Girls
• June 26: Mean Girls
• July 3: School of Rock
• July 10: Roman Holiday
• July 17: Reality Bites
• July 24: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• July 31: Swingers
• August 7: 48 Hours
• August 14: Zoolander
• August 21: Bonus | Good Burger

Lincoln Center's “Summer for the City” festival will be back on June 14 through August 12 with hundreds of free events, from silent discos and outdoor film screenings to queer music festivals and orchestra performances, and more.

The city’s largest outdoor dance floor with a massive, 10-foot-wide disco ball—The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza—will return for social dance nights, silent discos, and more giant parties.

For the full lineup with days, times, and details visit SummerForTheCity.org.

The Times Square Alliance is back with its summer program, TSQ Live, New York City’s biggest free performance series and its largest open-air public programming funding the arts.

All events are free, for all ages and open to the public. Here's the full schedule.

Shakespeare in the Park—the beloved NYC tradition—is back through August 6, 2023 with a powerful rendition of "Hamlet." 

Shows are presented at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and tickets are free. Shakespeare in the Park’s popularity means that tickets aren’t easy to come by—but if you persevere, you can get seats. Here’s our guide to navigating the system in 2023.

Take a cinematic journey through NYC history from the 1920s to the 2020s at New York on Film: Decade by Decade. This monthly series explores how New York has been imagined both by Hollywood studios and a diverse range of documentary, independent and experimental filmmakers. From beloved classics and indie favorites to rarely-seen gems, the series celebrates the city’s singular mix of influences and aesthetics, peoples and environments. 

Here's what's coming up:

— June 15, 6:30pm: Manhandled with live DJ accompaniment by DJ Misbehaviour.
— July 13, 7:30pm: Gold Diggers of 1933 with live jazz by Kate Martucci. Outdoor screening (weather permitting).
— August 10, 7pm: The Clock introduced by film critic Jourdain Searle. Outdoor screening (weather permitting).
— September 21, 7pm: The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Outdoor screening (weather permitting).

You can set your watch by how reliably awesome the annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival is. Unlike SummerStage, which spreads out across the five boroughs, all BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! shows, most of which are free, take place at the beautiful bandshell in Prospect Park. 

This year's performers include Corinne Bailey Rae, Taj Mahal, The Wallflowers, The Head & The Heart, JOE, Kelela, Liv.e, Ali Sethi and many more. Programming runs June 7-August 24.

The public park, which can be found floating at Pier 55 off the west side's Hudson River Park, will host DJ sets, drag bingo, dance parties, spoken word and live jazz, all held at the park's scenic stage.

Some of the talents joining Little Island's summer event calendar are Saturday Night Live cast member James Austin Johnson, Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, Grammy winners Joshua Henry and J Hoard, Emmy nominee and Joe's Pub favorite Shaina Taub, and many more.

No tickets or timed entry reservations are required to attend any of the events this summer. See the full lineup at Little Island's website. The fun starts this week on June 7.

Wake up with the sun for a morning yoga class with Chelsea Piers Fitness has you covered.

Head to the Maker's Room at Chelsea Market for a free 7am all-levels vinyasa flow class every Thursday morning. Just be sure to bring your own yoga mat and towel and register in advance. It'll be a good way to embrace the vinyasa flow all throughout your day. Programming runs through Labor Day.

Stretch it out this summer with free fitness classes by Sputnik Yoga, held at The Oculus Plaza near the World Trade Center. On select Wednesdays from May through October, try out yoga, dance and interval training classes from 5:30-6:30pm. 

Be sure to check the exact dates here and register in advance. Don't forget your yoga mat! 

This new comedy shows takes the "daytime talk show" concept to the next level. The title alone tells you all you need to know. It's known as PopOp!: The Pop Culture Talk Show that Pops Off. Jenny Gorelick hosts the show with a panel discussion, desk pieces, and wild games covering everything from Mario Party to the writer's strike with equally spicy takes. 

Here's the lineup:

— Monday, June 12 at 9:30pm featuring panelists Hunter Harris (Gossip Girl, Vulture, Hung Up Newsletter) and more to be announced 

Hear comedians, songwriters and even clowns perform pieces of their upcoming solo shows at Tune Up, a monthly variety show. Performers have been featured on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, HBO, Netflix and more. 

The show runs at 9pm the second Wednesday of the month (that's June 14, July 12, August 9, and so on). Performers have included Natan Badalov (Adult Swim), Alexander Payne (Netflix), Jessica Levin (HBO), Stephen Sihelnik (NY Comedy Festival) and more.

You might notice Rockefeller Center looking a little different come summer. That's because the landmark will play host to a special exhibition spotlighting Korean art through June and July, the biggest piece of which—literally—will be a large-scale charcoal sculpture towering at 21 feet in the outdoor plaza. 

Running at Rock Center from Thursday, June 8 through Wednesday, July 26, the exhibition is titled "Origin, Emergence, Return" and is presented by the Busan-based Johyun Gallery, the gallery's first-ever exhibition outside of Korea. Throughout, modern and contemporary Korean art, including more than 70 works from the likes of Park Seo Bo, Lee Bae and Jin Meyerson, will be on view at the Rink Level Gallery, exploring three generations of Korean art from the 20th century to the present.

Nearly every artist has their fixation, and for two years, Vincent Van Gogh was possessed with the challenge of capturing the cypress trees that surrounded him in France toward the end of his life.

You’ll be able to see this glorious obsession firsthand at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s major summer exhibit, “Van Gogh’s Cypresses,” which runs through August 27.

And it is history in the making as it is the first exhibition to focus on the artist’s cypress trees, reuniting some of his most iconic paintings, including “Wheat Field with Cypresses” and “The Starry Night” and other rarely lent works.

You've never been to a venue like this.

A new mid-air concert hall that holds 250 people is opening at The Shed, and it's truly an architectural wonder. With music curated by Carl Craig, Yaeji, Steve Reich, and The xx, plus upcoming performances by Madame Gandhi, yunè pinku, UNIIQU3, and Igor Levit, guests will party like they're inside a disco ball, with 3D sound and light experiences that transcend what experiencing live music can be. 

The 65-foot-diameter spherical concert hall is suspended in midair in The Shed’s 115-foot-tall McCourt space.

Sonic Sphere runs June 9 through July 7. All tickets to Sonic Sphere are general admission and available at theshed.org. 

More awe-inspiring public art is coming to Manhattan in an installation that makes viewers re-envision what sculpture is and can be. 

On Tuesday, June 6, “PRANK” will debut in City Hall Park in Manhattan’s Financial District. Presented by the Public Art Fund, this collection is the late British artist Phyllida Barlow’s final series of large-scale freestanding sculptures. The free, public exhibit will showcase seven new steel and fiberglass sculptures, the artist’s first series of outdoor sculptures made from long-lasting materials. 

“PRANK” will be open from 7am - midnight daily and run through November 26.

A major new exhibit by the Museum of the City of New York titled "This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture" explores NYC through the lenses of visual art, television, film, music, theater, literature and fashion. The exhibition, which celebrates the museum's centennial, is now open in Manhattan. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll see in this landmark show. 

The exhibition highlights more than 400 objects through several sections. The first, called “Tempo of the City,” spotlights the joys and struggles on the streets and subways of NYC. The next, called “Destination NYC,” focuses on iconic and hidden places from parks to rooftops to nightclubs. Next, the exhibit moves to a peaceful room called “At Home in New York” featuring depictions of home life in books and films. Finally, take a seat for “You Are Here,” a compilation of more than 400 film scenes about New York City stitched together to create a stirring narrative that’ll make you smile and laugh. 

"This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture" runs through June 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem. Admission is $20/adult (you can opt for pay-what-you-wish admission if you buy tickets in person at the museum).

Remember when NASA published those first images from the Webb telescope and blew everyone's minds? 

Well, now you can admire never-before-seen visuals captured by the James Webb Space Telescope in this new immersive art experience at ARTECHOUSE in Chelsea. “Beyond the Light” opens on June 2 and runs all summer with adult general admission starting at $25. 

Described as "an artistic exploration of our unseen universe," Beyond the Light centers on a 25-minute cinematic audio-visual interpretation of how humans have experienced light over time. The show's presented in the highest-resolution projection technology available, making it a true feast for the senses. You'll get to see newly analyzed galactical data captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.  

Gardens tend to attract the most attention when they’re in full bloom, fragrant and colorful. They don’t garner much adoration when they’re dormant or decaying. But all of these cycles are an important part of life, as artist Ebony G. Patterson explores in a powerful new exhibition at New York Botanical Garden. 

Iridescent vulture sculptures, glass re-creations of extinct plants and collages inspired by gardening books are now on view as part of her exhibit titled "... things come to thrive ... in the shedding ... in the molting ..." It's on view through Sunday, September 17.

Summer nights, after work or a day out, will once again be alive with music and dance thanks to Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America.

Starting in June, the Picnic Performances will bring the best of NYC to the stage, including the New York City Opera, Jalopy Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the American Symphony Orchestra.

This week's lineup:

• June 1 — New York City Opera: La Bohème at 7pm
• June 2 — Jazzmobile: Steve Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra at 7pm 

For more than 50 years, El Museo del Barrio has been curating a complex and culturally diverse collection. Now, for the first time in more than two decades, the museum will present its most ambitious presentation of that permanent collection with 500 artworks, including more than 100 new acquisitions. 

The exhibition called "Something Beautiful: Reframing La Colección" is now open and will remain on view through March 10, 2024 with different pieces rotating in and out. El Museo del Barrio, located in the city's East Harlem neighborhood known as "El Barrio," is the nation's leading Latinx and Latin American cultural institution. 

See it at at El Museo del Barrio in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood. Adult admission is $9.

A flighty new experience is now open at The Bronx Zoo!

You’ll have the chance to visit Budgie Landing, a new immersive experience that lets you commune with 1,000 boisterous birds known as budgerigars or “budgies.”

The new experience, which is part of zoo admission, surrounds you by these small, talkative parrots that get to fly freely through the exhibit. Inside, you can feed seeds to the birds from a handheld stick. The budgies that accept your offering will no doubt be an unforgettable up-close interaction, the zoo says.

Tickets are $5 per person in addition to Bronx Zoo admission. A Budgie Landing ticket includes one seed stick for guests to have the opportunity to feed (if the birds choose to eat). It’ll be open through October.

New York's newest botanic garden is now open 1,131 feet in the air this season.

“Sky Bloom,” a new immersive floral experience taking over Edge's skydeck, runs through September 4. Located on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, known for its outdoor viewing area with a glass floor, angled glass walls and transparent staircase up to the 101st floor. 

The skyline views are impressive from this height, and Edge is getting more decorative with changing arrangements throughout the summer created by Ivie Joy Flowers. Visitors will step into a cloud of flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors including garden roses, ranunculus, poppies, and wisteria, all while taking in unparalleled views. 

Tickets to Edge start at $33 for adults with New York City residency and $35 for visitors. 

The Garment District Alliance's latest in its ongoing series of public art exhibits is showcasing "Kibbitz & Nosh: When We All Met at Dubrow’s Cafeteria." The collection is a tribute to New York's historic diners (and consistent pastime of gossiping and snacking), by lifelong Brooklynite and photographer Marcia Bricker Halperin.

A new exhibit will appreciate and examine the artistry of Taylor Swift's artistic oeuvre. 

“Taylor Swift: Storyteller,” a career-spanning look at the artistic reinventions of the 12-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist (and proud New Yorker!), is now open at The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) through September 4, 2023. Tickets cost $25/person.

The exhibit will include iconic costumes, such as the cheerleader and ballerina ensembles from the 2014 music video for “Shake It Off,” the red wedding dress and bellhop uniform from “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” which featured Miles Teller and was directed by Blake Lively in 2021; and the sparkling ensemble from 2022’s “Bejeweled,” directed by Taylor Swift.  

Anyone can walk through this towering new sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park that shouts in all caps: “LAND.” But anyone cannot walk through certain lands, especially at border crossings. That juxtaposition comes into stark relief at this recently installed 30-foot sculpture that simultaneously evokes Pop Art and questions the legacy of colonization. 

Nicholas Galanin's "In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra" is now on view at the Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn in Brooklyn Bridge Park through fall 2023.

A vibrant new sculpture called “Old Tree” is now on view at the High Line. 

Find it over the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street, claiming residency through Fall 2024. Created by Zurich-based artist Pamela Rosenkranz, the vivid sculpture is the third High Line Plinth commission, which changes every 18 months.

The pink and red “Old Tree” sculpture stretches 25 feet into the sky. It's shaped like a realistic tree but constructed completely from man-made materials. 

The Daddy Rabbit jazz speakeasy shows are the epitome of cool, and there are several coming up that you won't want to miss.

Musician extraordinaire Misha Piatigorsky launched Daddy Rabbit with much secrecy, but we can tell you the upcoming show dates: 

— June 16: Hilary Kole and trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt
— June 30: French vocalist Camille Gomez-Väez with drummer Rudy Royston 

Upon walking in, patrons sit around the musicians, who take up residence smack-dab in the middle of the room surrounding a beautiful grand piano. A musical experience to remember indeed. Grab tickets here.

The hot pink, beachy California Malibu Barbie Cafe will serve up all-day brunch dishes including Pacific Paradise Pancakes, West Coast Wave Wedge Salad, a California Dreamin’ Club Sandwich and an Anything is Possible Sundae—a menu created by Master Chef semi-finalist Becky Brown.

Inside the 1970s Malibu time capsule, you’ll be able to step into and take photos in a life-size Barbie box and enjoy the vibrant, vibe-y photogenic playground.

The Malibu Barbie Cafe will run through September 15, 2023. Fans can join the waitlist right now to be notified when tickets go on sale. 

Step into Yayoi Kusama's vibrant, polka-dotted immersive world at this major new gallery show in Chelsea. The exhibition, "I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers," features vivid new paintings, massive new sculptures and a dazzling new infinity room from the mega-popular Japanese artist. 

The show's on view at David Zwirner on West 19th Street through July 21 (exact hours and details here). You can see it for free, just be prepared to wait in line. 

"I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers," which stretches across 519, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, is divided into four sections. Two sections feature sculptures, another highlights paintings and the final area houses the beloved infinity room.

One of the best things to do when perched high above the city is take in a movie, and Rooftop Films is back for the season with a fresh slate of independent films screened across all five boroughs.

Running from through Thursday, August 24 with more than 45 events, Rooftop Films' 27th annual Summer Series will include some high-profile titles, including the New York premiere of Eva Longoria’s directorial debut Flamin’ Hot, the New York premiere of Bill Pohlad’s Dreamin’ Wild starring Casey Affleck and Zooey Deschanel, Prime Month programming including Netflix’s WHAM! documentary, and free community events like a screening of Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, shown in the backyard of the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens.

Check out the full 2023 outdoor screenings calendar, as well as ticket information, at Rooftop Films' website. 

Looking for an elevated movie-going experience? This summer, you can watch classic movies like Casablanca, Clueless and Goodfellas on a Manhattan rooftop while sipping wine and snacking on vegan popcorn. 

Rooftop Cinema Club in midtown is back this summer with an impressive slate of movies.

No matter which movie you pick, the city's skyline serves as a stunning backdrop, as the cinema's located on the Skylawn rooftop of the Embassy Suites Hotel on West 37th Street. But don't worry about background noise because each guest gets their own wireless headphones.

Union Square is about to get even more fun this summer.

Popular Lower Manhattan brewery Torch & Crown will bring its beloved brews to Union Square this summer with a seasonal location running through November.

Torch & Crown will set up shop in the historic Union Square Pavilion with a variety of hand-crafted drafts. A few stand-outs on the menu will include Almost Famous, a smooth, bright, aromatic hazy IPA packed with peach and grapefruit notes, and Share House, an easy-drinking crisp ale made for summertime.

On a typical visit to the Museum of Modern Art, crowds surround the most precious paintings, and it can be tough to squeeze your way in for a photo, let alone to admire the artwork’s brushstrokes. But now, thanks to these new exclusive tours by GetYourGuide, you can get in before the museum opens for a guided tour of amazing artwork. 

The new MoMA Before Hours Tour with Art Expert is available on weekends and a few weekdays now through August. Tickets are on sale here for $99/person. Few New York City experiences compare to the absolute thrill of gazing at famed works of art uninterrupted for as long as you like.  

See more than 100 works by Andy Warhol for a landmark gallery show in the East Village called "Thirty Are Better Than One." The show, which spans the entirety of Warhol's career, is on view through July 31 on East Sixth Street with adult admission priced at $20. See the show for just $5 on Thursday evenings from 4-6pm.

While the show includes some of Warhol's most iconic pieces (a Campbell's soup can and a Marilyn), it also highlights lesser-known works. For example, there's a pastel-hued folding screen called "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" that Warhol made for a Tiffany's window in 1954, along with early illustrations he made in the 1950s using gold leaf, copper and ink. 

In a dazzling tribute to couture fashion, 200 pieces by Karl Lagerfeld, from flouncy floral dresses to menswear-inspired suits, have transformed the Met's Tisch Galleries into a runway. The Costume Institute’s new exhibition, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" showcases the late designer's working methods, especially his skills in sketching. 

The exhibit is on view through July 16. 

You may not know the name J.C. Leyendecker, but his artwork shaped American visual culture in the early 1900s. As a preeminent illustrator and commercial artist, Leyendecker created captivating advertisements and countless covers for the Saturday Evening Post.

"As a queer artist whose illustrations for a mainstream audience often had unspoken queer undertones, his work is especially revealing for what it says about the cultural attitudes towards homosexuality of the period," the New-York Historical Society wrote. The Historical Society will display the artist's works this spring.

You'll see 19 of the artist’s original oil paintings, from magazine covers to roadside billboards. His aesthetic influence extended to Norman Rockwell, his colleague and eventual successor as the Post’s premier illustrator. 

"Under Cover: J. C. Leyendecker and American Masculinity" is on view through August 13.

Artist Lauren Halsey transformed images of lowriders, men in durags, DJs and spaceships into modern-day hieroglyphs to create a massive new rooftop installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Drawing on inspiration from Egyptian architecture and her Los Angeles neighborhood, Halsey reimagined an ancient language with a fresh, 21st-century take. 

Titled "the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I)," The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey is on view through October 22 on The Met's rooftop. The Cantor Roof Garden Bar is also open, so you can enjoy a cocktail while looking at the art.

The Bard is getting the spotlight in the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures right now. All six of the library's copies of William Shakespeare’s First Folio (Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies) are on display in honor of the 400th anniversary of its publication this year. 

You can see the works now through October 1 as part of the library’s fascinating Treasures exhibition, which is packed with literary and cultural gems. 

The First Folio is regarded by many as the most important book in the history of English literature. 

Regency era London is taking over Manhattan this summer during a Bridgerton-themed immersive extravaganza. You're invited to "The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience," a multifaceted event narrated by the one and only Lady Whistledown.

You'll get to interact with characters, explore immersive vignettes, sip themed cocktails, buy some exclusive merch, revel in a dance and acrobatics show and take a whole lot of photos.

The experience, which lasts about 90 minutes, runs through the summer at Mediapro Manhattan Studio at 508 West 37th Street by 10th Avenue in Hudson Yards. Tickets start at $49 per person.

The first exhibit to focus on Georgia O'Keeffe's drawings is now open at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Set up on the museum's third-floor south galleries, "Georgia O'Keeffe: To See Takes Time," will stay on view through August 12, 2023.

Featuring more than 120 works from 85 lenders, this sprawling show is the first to reunite O'Keeffe's works on paper made in series. It's also the first time MoMA has featured her work since 1946; at that time, the exhibition was the museum's first retrospective of a woman artist. 

"Georgia O’Keeffe: To See Takes Time" explores why the late artist worked in a series format and helps viewers understand the artist in a new way.

Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace is back at Rockefeller Center through October. 

The rink offers smooth ride with plenty of space to get around other skaters. Being able to glide by Prometheus and in front of spectators visiting Rockefeller Center is quite a thrill. Before Flipper’s first opened last year, the last time anyone roller-skated here was in 1940!

Tickets start at just over $20 for a one-hour rink time.

Many museums start with some kind of orientation, like a map or remarks from a docent. But not The House of Cannabis (a.k.a. THC NYC), the new weed museum now open in Soho. Instead, this museum starts, quite fittingly, with a trippy “Disorientation Room.”

While the museum boasts plenty of mind-bending multi-sensory bells and whistles, it also showcases art, highlights science and confronts the social justice issues baked into cannabis prosecution. The museum, the first of its kind at this scale, packs every inch of its four-story, 25,000-square-foot space at 427 Broadway with fascinating facts and delightful immersive experiences fit to entertain both tokers and non-smokers alike. Tickets ($45/adult) are on sale now.

The pickleball craze is continuing as CityPickle is now open at Central Park's Wollman Rink. It's the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast.

Courts are open through October 9 and all skill levels are welcome to experience the fun.

The Standard, High Line's Roller Rink is back with a retro 1960s motif. 

It will feature a nice seating area, where you will be able to bask in the sun. Also on the docket: weekly programs and events catered to kids and adults alike, including silent skate nights, disco parties, burlesque and drag shows, plus age-specific skating hours. 

But the piece de resistance will undoubtedly be the wearable drink pouches that skaters will be allowed to don around their necks in order to sip on some top-notch cocktails hands-free while cruising around the rink. Now that sounds like a good time! 

Yoko Ono, Miles Greenberg and Louise Bourgeouis metaphorically join forces within the confines of the free, private museum Faurschou New York in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where their works will be on display through September 17 as part of the "Embrace the World from Within" exhibit.

According to an official press release, the show "revolves around physical and metaphorical aspects of the embrace: from embrace as the merging together of bodies to embrace as an act of acceptance and shelter or by contrast as claustrophobic smothering." 

Patrons will get to peruse through three different galleries, each one dedicated to one of the artists and focusing on works of various form—from sculptures to performative acts and more traditional installations.

Read more about each exhibition right here.

Find your latest read at The Free Black Women’s Library, a new free library in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, which also serves as a social art project, a reading room, a co-working space and a community gathering center. The library "celebrates the brilliance, diversity and imagination of Black women and Black non-binary authors." All 5,000 books in the library's collection are written by Black women and non-binary authors.

Here's how it works: Anybody can visit the space to read, work or hang out. If you want to take a book home, simply bring a book written by a Black woman or Black non-binary author, and you can trade. Whether you decide to bring the book back after you're done reading or keep it for your collection is up to you.

The library is currently open four days per week (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) at 226 Marcus Garvey Boulevard. In addition to offering a space to read or work, the library has also hosts a book club, art shows and workshops on topics like writing, drawing, poetry, painting and sewing. All are welcome. 

A new immersive experience taking over the Lower East Side is part walking tour, part theatrical character monologue and an overall commentary on current celebrity worship culture.

A Gaga Guide to the Lower East Side runs through June. The experience, which is about 75 minutes long and covers approximately 14 blocks, whisks visitors through the Lower East Side "with an emphasis on the exploits of [the tour guide's] favorite pop star and downtown denizen Lady Gaga."

Smorgasburg is the food bazaar spectacular that unofficially announces summer in New York City every year. Founded by Brooklyn Flea’s Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler, the culinary extravaganza typically spotlights about 100 vendors across its locations. Smorg has three spots in 2023, two in Brooklyn (in Williamsburg and Prospect Park) and one at the World Trade Center. 

The World Trade Center outpost runs on Fridays; Williamsburg on Saturdays; and Prospect Park on Sundays.

The popular Luna Park in Coney Island is officially open for the season—a sign that summer is finally here! As usual, New Yorkers will get to experience thrilling rides, including two new ones that made their debut last summer.

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! 

An outdoor artwalk makes for a perfect spring activity, and there's no shortage of art to check out right now. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit.

The name really says it all: Make bonsai in a bar! These teeny tiny trees are the definition of "happy little trees." 

The pros from Bonsai Bar will teach you the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while you sip your drink and have some fun with your friends. The teachers will also help you as you pot, prune and design your very own bonsai tree. 

Bonsai Bar events pop up all over the city at locations like Brooklyn Brewery, the Bronx Brewery and SingleCut Beersmiths Queens Taproom.

Likely every New Yorker knows the FDNY’s reputation for bravery and heroics, but the story of the colonial FDNY hasn’t gotten much attention. A new exhibit at the New York City Fire Museum will change that by showcasing the important work of firefighters centuries ago. 

“Colonial Firefighting & the American Revolution” presents the untold story of a group of volunteers that stood between New York and disaster during years of rampant arson, wars for North America and the American Revolution. At the exhibit, you’ll get to step into past New Yorkers’ shoes while exploring multimedia presentations, checking out original artwork and even seeing the first fire engines. 

"We are excited to work with such incredible partners to present this multi-month exhibition about the earliest days of firefighting in Colonial America," Jennifer Brown, executive director of the New York City Fire Museum, said in a press release. "Fire history buffs and general audiences alike are sure to be intrigued as they learn more about this fascinating piece of New York history."

The exhibit's on view through August 13 at the Fire Museum in Manhattan.

A new exhibit at The Rubin Museum of Art opening this spring will explore the concept of death and the afterlife through the art of Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity. See 58 object spanning 12 centuries in this new show. 

"Death Is Not the End" features prints, oil paintings, bone ornaments, thangka paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, and ritual objects, inviting "contemplation on the universal human condition of impermanence and the desire to continue to exist," as the museum described.

The exhibition focuses on three major themes: The Human Condition, or the shared understanding of our mortality in this world; States In-Between, or the concepts of limbo, purgatory, and bardo; and (After)life, focusing on resurrection, ideas of transformation, and heaven.

"Death Is Not the End" is on view through January 14, 2024.

The combination of a black beret, black leather jacket, black pants, black shoes and exposed weaponry formed the military-style uniform for the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s, and that look became an enduring symbol that lives on today. A new exhibit at Poster House explores how the Black Panther Party powerfully branded its work through clothing, posters and newspapers. 

The show, “Black Power to Black People: Branding the Black Panther Party,” is now on view at the museum in Chelsea through September 10 featuring 37 works dating from 1932 to 1980. You’ll see heroic images of party members, printed materials like The Black Panther newspaper, political campaign posters and powerful photographs by artists including Emory Douglas, Dorothy Hayes and Danny Lyon.

The steady stream of Stephen Sondheim revivals continues as the estimable Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford headline the latest Broadway incarnation of Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s 1979 killer-cannibal musical. Directed by Hamilton's Thomas Kail, the production uses Jonathan Tunick's original 26-piece orchestrations to do justice to the show's razor-sharp score; the large cast includes Ruthie Ann Miles, Jordan Fisher, Maria Bilbao, Jamie Jackson and Stranger Things kiddo Gaten Matarazzo. 

Photographer Berenice Abbott captured New York in small, black-and-white images, 266 of which will be showcased in a fascinating exhibit at The Met this spring. The museum describes it as a "kind of photographic sketchbook" of her adventures throughout the city documenting skyscrapers, bridges, elevated trains and neighborhood life.

"It's one of the unique treasures of The Met. It has never been fully exhibited, not been fully conserved, or published in its entirety—until now," Met Director Max Hollein said. 

The photographer had intended on making just a short trip to New York City, but when she arrived, she was entranced. Abbott is quoted as saying, "When I saw New York again, and stood in the dirty slush, I felt that here was the thing I had been wanting to do all my life."

"Berenice Abbott’s New York Album, 1929" will be on view from March 2-September 4, 2023.

The Met's kicking off 2023 with an exhibit of life-size photomurals by Richard Avedon. Celebrating the centennial of the artist's birth in 1923, the show presents a selection of the photographer's innovative group portraits. The exhibit focuses on Avedon's creativity between 1969 and 1971 when he experimented with sense of scale to create monumental photomurals. Some of his work even chronicled the era's most well-known figures, including Andy Warhol.

The show runs through November 1, 2023. 

When you appreciate the greenspaces around NYC, do you ever stop to think about the people who make those spaces so enjoyable? Artist Fanny Allié hopes you do, and her new sculpture exhibition called Shadows brings those park workers to the forefront.

The mixed-media artist created 10 colorful sculptures inspired by the workers who maintain Bella Abzug Park (542 W 36th St.). To create the sculptures, Allié spent time with each person and asked them to pose in a manner that reflected themselves. She captured their poses on film, drew their outlines and translated them into steel silhouettes. Each worker chose their sculpture’s color.

Head to the park to see the sculptures sometime before September 2023.

With indoor and outdoor options, Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar, offers a fun spot to get your game on while sipping a drink.

For the uninitiated, pétanque (pronounced puh-TONK) is a bocce-ball style French boules sport gaining popularity in the U.S., starting here in NYC.

Carreau Club operates primarily as a walk-in pétanque club and reservations are not required. But you can book a court in advance for a single party or multiple courts for larger groups. Reservations cost $50/court/hour.

AirOtic Soiree is bringing the heat to Hell's Kitchen with a 21+ cabaret-style performane showcasing incredible aerial acrobatics in a titillating, sensual style. The show takes audiences through an intense story of love, passion, sexuality and eroticism through an immersive circus and cabaret experience including extravagant costumes, seductive choreography and circus artistry. 

During the show, dine on dinner and decadent dessert towers curated by celebrity chef Saul Montiel. Before and after the performance, cocktails will be available for purchase.

See it at HK Hall, a historic venue with striking decor in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, with performances through 2023. 

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.

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.

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 and giant playing cards.

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

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.

Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London, offers 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. Take your pick from six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails, as well as 12 cocktails created specifically for Swingers NoMad. Plus, you can rent private rooms, check out an opulent clubhouse and enjoy four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

For the holiday season, Swingers is offering a fun twist on the festivities: Spin a Naughty-or-Nice Prize Wheel to decide whether you're ordering the "Naughty" Sex on the Green shot or the "Nice" Festive Dessert. In addition to the game, there's also seasonal decor and even more holiday drinks.

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.

Support up-and-coming sketch comedians as they perform a medley of new sketches at this show at The PIT. The show's called "BoogieManja: A Sketch Comedy Collective" and it promises an hour of sketch comedy that changes every show. 

BoogieManja performs every first, second and third Wednesday of the month.

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. 

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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.