Whats going on in times square tonight

Make pizza with Fornino at Time Out Market

Learn how to make the most delicious pizza from one of NYC’s best pizza joints, Fornino, at Time Out Market New York.

Every other Saturday morning, Fornino will lead a group of newbies in how to craft the perfect pie. Participants will be provided with pizza-making materials: dough, toppings, individual workstations, chef hats and aprons as well as sparkling pomegranate toast, a goodie bag and two complimentary tickets to Jane’s Carousel, which is right outside of the market.

Tickets, which are $35 for one parent and one child, are limited to 25 (for 50 people) per workshop.

Dough-n’t wait to sign up!

Family Movie Matinees at Time Out Market New York

Your family has a new go-to weekend activity! Every weekend this fall, Time Out Market New York will be streaming a family-fave film on the fifth floor and providing materials for a fun arts and crafts activity (coloring, watercolors) during the screening. Tickets are two-tier: $15 per person, which includes a $10 event card to use towards the purchase of a meal at any concession and $20 per person, which includes a $15 event card to use towards the purchase of Breakfast from Ess-A-Bagel or any other concession in the market. $20 tickets will also get you complimentary access to the nearby Jane’s carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The following movies will be screened on Sundays at 10am (with a 9:45am check-in):

• November 6: Enchanted
• November 13: Piglet’s Big Movie
• November 20: The Muppets
• November 27: The Muppets Most Wanted

For the cinematic schedule contact:  or inquire here

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!

Latin Mix Sundays at Time Out Market New York

Dance the afternoon away with Latin Mix Sundays, featuring Ronnie Roc & DJ Torres every Sunday from 1 to 4pm.

Special drinks will be available at the Time Out Market Bar to cool you down and spice things up between noon and 5pm, including specials like the Rum Punch Pouch ($12), the Very Berry Sangria ($12) and Modelo Drafts ($6).

With great music and tasty drinks, there’s no reason not to come hang out with us!

1. The NYC Marathon 2022

NYC’s biggest running event is back with the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon, which will see thousands of runners from all over the world compete in a 26.2-mile race that spans all five boroughs. It’s impressive, to say the least! Even if you’re not running in the event, turning out to cheer on the athletes is time well spent. This year's race is on Sunday, November 6.

If you want to fuel up before racing (or cheering), several restaurants are offering carby specials, like pasta Tavern on the Green and pizza at Fornino.

2. Pumpkin Smash

Bid adieu to Halloween with a smashing good time at Hudson River Park's Pumpkin Smash. Bring your own jack-o-lantern or pumpkin, along with some safety goggles, and smush your pumpkin into compostable bits. 

You’ll get to choose a bat, hammer or shovel to break up your gourd within a 15-minute period. Then, stick around to learn how composting works. Park staff will convert the gooey bits into nutrient-rich compost to nourish the park's plants. Last year, more than 1,000 pounds of pumpkin scraps were collected and used for compost (and kept out of the landfill!). 

It's all happening at Pier 84 on Saturday, November 5.  

3. Pétanque at Carreau Club

After two years of outdoor play, Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar has expanded with an indoor location with more space to get your game on while sipping a drink.

The new indoor venue opens at Brooklyn's Industry City on Friday, November 4, just in time for chillier fall temperatures. 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.

4. The Rink at Rockefeller Center

The iconic Rink at Rockefeller Center is open to skaters as of Saturday, November 5. Every year, The Rink at Rockefeller Center ushers in the holiday season by opening up to the public to skate under a golden Prometheus. Once peak season hits, there’s going to be a bit of a wait to get on the slick stuff.

Use our handy guide to navigate your way onto the ice.

5. Caffè Napoletana

The "best pizzeria in the world" will turn into an Italian coffee shop on Saturday mornings. Orchard Street restaurant Una Pizza Napoletana will turn into a breakfast destination dubbed Caffè Napoletana on Saturday mornings from 9am to 1pm beginning November 5. Espresso for all!

6. Bushwick Film Festival

The 15th Annual Bushwick Film Festival is back in-person after two years of virtual and hybrid renditions. The festival offers five days of live screenings, panels and special events featuring more than 100 independent films from Brooklyn and around the world.

Films this year include "New Yawkers," a collection of pieces highlighting the stories of New Yorkers in all their glory, and "You Won’t Break My Soul," spotlighting the hope and perseverance of the soul of black, queer and trans folks.

All festival films will be shown at Williamsburg Cinemas, while other special events will be held throughout the neighborhood. The festival runs from November 1-7; here's the full rundown of events.

7. Canstruction

This annual cans-for-a-cause competition pits architecture teams against each other to create larger-than-life art installations using thousands upon thousands of cans of nonperishable food, all in the name of ending hunger (every can is donated to City Harvest).

Head down to Brookfield Place from November 3-14 to see the unveiling of these engineering spectacles, all built after months of planning, and check back to see if your favorite takes home any titles in judges’ categories like Best Use of Labels, Best Meal and Structural Ingenuity. You can even vote for your favorite sculpture.

Admission is free, but do your part by donating some canned goods to the cause.

8. Dia de los Muertos Late Night Celebration

Experience an authentic Dia de los Muertos event at this late-night festivity in Brooklyn. The United States–Mexico Chamber of Commerce Northeast Chapter is teaming up with MMFB Productions for a celebration of Mexican cuisine, entertainment, culture and cocktails on Saturday, November 5. 

The 21+ evening features signature Mexican foods, specialty cocktails, Latin music, mariachis, dance performances and a traditional ofrenda installation. Local restaurants such as Tacombi, Kuxe, Palomas BK and La Newyorkina will be in on the fun. Guests are encouraged to dress up and wear face paint to get into the spirit of the holiday.

9. Orange Glou orange wine fair

Sip more than 70 wines from around the world, including rare bottlings and hard-to-find vintages at the Orange Glou orange wine festival. Orange wine (aka natural skin contact wines) is having a moment, and you'll get to hear more about that from expert natural wine sommelier Doreen Winkler, who founded Orange Glou three years ago.

The company will host its first orange wine fair on Sunday, November 6 on the Lower East Side. Tickets are $35 and include a wine glass to take home.

10. Play NYC

This gaming convention brings what's on the screen to real life at Chelsea Industrial. Hang out with creators, developers, amateurs, connoisseurs and family fans all under one roof on Saturday, November 5.

Check out 60+ games and playable exhibits showcasing the best of the NYC gaming scene. Exhibitors include Whale Food Games, Computer Lunch, Games for Change and many more. Also don't miss the debut of projects created as part of Playcrafting's Graffiti Games initiative to support new creators. 

11. The Other Art Fair

Connect with artists in-person and explore thousands of original artworks across various media including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and more with prices ranging from $100 to $10,000. The Other Art Fair is all about showcasing independent artists, and it's hosting its 10th event in Brooklyn November 3-6.

Expect to see the work of more than 120 independent and emerging artists from across the globe and local to NYC, each hand-picked by a committee of local art world experts. Visitors can meet artists in person and discover thousands of original artworks and limited-edition prints across various media (painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and more). 

Plus, sip on complimentary cocktails from the Bombay Sapphire bar while grooving to live DJ sets, experiencing light baths and getting same nail art by Eve de Haan, often known as Half A Roast Chicken. It's all happening at at Brooklyn Navy Yard.

12. INTER_, NYC’s newest immersive art experience

The energy in INTER_, Manhattan’s newest art experience, feels more like a meditation retreat than a typical gallery—and that’s by design. 

The experiential, multi-sensory museum which opens in Soho on November 2, invites visitors into a heightened state of contemplative awareness through a sound bath, light installations and aspects of meditation all combined with interactive digital art. 

Here's a sneak peek inside the museum.

13. Free Frick Night

Explore the Frick Madison for free this Friday, November 4 thanks to the Cheng-Harrell Open Nights series. Reserve a free ticket for after-hours museum and reading room access with permanent collections featuring Vermeer, Rembrandt, Goya, Gainsborough, and more.

You'll also get a chance to sketch from works in the galleries or practice figure drawing with costumed models. Art materials will be provided, and artists of all abilities are welcome. Plus, heear talks on the featured exhibition (The Eveillard Gift) as well as on fashion. Live music and complimentary refreshments by Joe Coffee will add a little extra sweetness to the experience. 

14. Monet’s Garden The Immersive Experience

Claude Monet’s gorgeous impressionist florals will bloom on Wall Street this fall.

“Monet’s Garden The Immersive Experience” is opening on Friday, November 4 at the historic Seamen’s Bank Building on Wall Street, bringing the famous artist’s masterpieces to the heart of the Financial District. Visitors to “Monet’s Garden” will see the inspiration and history behind some Monet’s masterpieces through visual, phonic and even olfactory (smell) stimuli. It's open through January 8, 2023. 

15. 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.

16. Paul Taylor Dance Company

Modern-dance legend Paul Taylor died in 2018, but his work lives on through the company he founded. Its 2022 season at Lincoln Center, billed as Taylor: A New Era, includes two world premieres—by new resident choreographer Lauren Lovette and Amy Hall Garner—as well as Larry Keigwin’s Rush Hour, Kurt Jooss’s The Green Table and nine classics by Taylor himself. A special program on November 9 comprises four collaborations between Taylor and the painter Alex Katz: Polaris, Scudorama, Sunset and Diggity. Live music is performed at every show by the Orchestra of St. Luke's, under the baton of David LaMarche. (In a laudable move to expand its audience, the company is pricing tickets at just $20 for audience members under 40.)

17. Tinder Live with Lane Moore

As if it weren't hilarious enough in real life, Tinder (the wildly popular dating app) gets exposed in this comedy show. If you're hoping for some swiping tips (no matter how ridiculous), this is the event for you. Like Tinder in real life, anything can happen at this show hosted by Lane Moore.

The Saturday, November 5 show features comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo swiping live through the weirdest New York City tinder profiles.

18. Fall Family Day: String Fling

Carnegie Hall's Fall Family Day: String Fling offers a free open house on Saturday, November 5 geared for kids ages 3-10 with their caregiver. Kids can learn about the different sounds of string instruments, play games, listen to performances and dance all day. Fall Family Day admission is first-come, first-serve and no registration is required. 

19. Ian Lockwood's Girlfriend Pageant

A one-year supply of hot dogs is on the line at this hilarious high-stakes comedy event. At Ian Lockwood's Girlfriend Pageant on Friday, November 4, "20 contestants compete to be pop-star-comedian Ian Lockwood's heterosexual girlfriend!" The contest includes four rounds: gown & age, talent, verisimilitude, and emotional support.

"Ian is back on the hunt for love… but when a private eye is hired by his enemies, will Ian’s greatest secret be exposed? And will this revelation be the end of the pageant?" the event listing reads.

The winner gets Ian's heart for a year, plus a year's supply of hot dogs.

20. Erotic Fan Fiction

This show at Caveat on Friday, November 4 promises "the most shamefully filthy and gloriously hilarious storytelling night in NYC." It's an adults-only event featuring comedians sharing stories of smut on the fun side of filth. 

Nothing is off limits—nothing. This Friday's show, for example, will feature riffs on fandoms, like Mario and Princess Peach; Steve Jobs and an iPhone; and Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith from the Great British Bake-off. Comedians include Jo Firestone, Karen Chee, Sienna Hubert-Ross, Aaron Jackson, Dan Fox and Georgia Clark.

As the event listing promises: "Expect the unexpected in a night of laughs, gasps, grunts, and groans." 

21. Bagel Bash

Wine flights? Great. Bagel flights? Even better.

This carby festivity from the producers of BagelFest presents a bagel flight experience during brunch on Saturday, November 5 at The Hugh in Midtown East. Flights feature five unique mini bagel sandwiches: lox on pumpernickel, birthday cake bagels, Avocaderia mashup, wheated whitefish, and the classic with everything and scallion. Tickets also include a mimosa, bagel rolling demonstrations, bagel-centric activities and swag.

Plus, don't miss a special appearance from bagel lover and celeb baker Lottie Bedlow of "The Great British Baking Show."

Here's more info about the menu and how to get tickets.

22. Hester Street Fair: Closing Weekend

Get ready to shop til you drop at the Hester Street Fair's Closing Weekend on Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6.

The event features pet portraits, paper mache pumpkin painting, rice bowls from Maze Maze, cookies from The Teal Kitchen and a spotlight on new entrepreneurs. That's all in addition to the stacked lineup of vendors including Mom's Knitting NYC, Queer Candle, Copper Cactus Vintage and Almonte Studio.

Heads up that the location for this weekend's event is Pier 16, still found at 89 South Street. 

23. Unpopular Opinions

"Unpopular Opinions" turns Caveat into a "safe space to talk some S#!T." Three performers will debate one another on topics surrounding the theme of dating. But here's the catch: The comedians have no idea what the opinions are until they're on the stage—and that sets the stage for a hilarious ride.

The three special guests joining host Peru on Saturday, November 5 are: Charlie Bardey, Arti Gollapudi and Jared Goldstein.

24. FAD Market

Check some holiday shopping off your list at FAD Market this weekend with New York City’s up-and-coming brands, designers, and small businesses—offering a curated selection of handcrafted jewelry, apparel, stationery, skincare, tableware, home goods, and artisanal food.

Shop from 30 vendors including By Anna Wade, boxcar woodwork, Scully’s Wonderful Stuff, Horseshoe Brand and Bloommeon. 

The market will pop up at Empire Stores in Brooklyn Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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. 

28. AirOtic Soiree

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 from November 4 through 2023. 

29. Bushwick Holiday Market

Shop local for the holidays at the Essential Bushwick Holiday Market featring more than 100  vendors of local handmade goods, vintage finds and art. 

You've got three chances to shop: Saturdays November 5, 26, and December 10.

30. Angelina pop-up

Even folks who have never been to Paris have probably heard of the iconic French café and tea house, Angelina, known for its decadent hot chocolate and Mont Blanc dessert (originally created in the Piedmont region of Italy, the treat is made with sweetened chestnut purée vermicelli topped with whipped cream).

French restaurant L'Avenue, found inside of fashion mecca Saks, is now treating customers to Angelina’s delicious offerings on this side of the Atlantic, operating a special pop-up that will stay open through December.

31. Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tours

The trolley tour that's outfitted to look like a Victorian funeral parlor—think chandeliers and velvet curtains—and takes you on a trip through the shadows of historic Brooklyn is back. The tour visits the secret location where Murder, Inc. disposed of bodies, alien abduction sites along the Brooklyn Bridge, a brothel and more spooky sites spanning 400 years of Brooklyn history. 

Madame Morbid tours are offered on multiple dates through Noveber and now even feature ghost hunting equipment.

32. Wollman Rink at Central Park

The iconic Wollman Rink in Central Park open for the season.

Since it opened in the 1950s, the rink at the southern end of Central Park has delighted locals and visitors alike who cherish skating under the stars with the backdrop of the city's skyline. To get in on the fun, general admission tickets range from $15 to $35 for adults, depending on date of entry; children and senior tickets cost $10 all season. You can rent skates for $10. Tickets are on sale now.

Here's what to expect at the rink this year.

34. The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

If you're still in the Halloween spirit, the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze has got you covered with festivities through November. See surreal creations made with hundreds of pumpkins.

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.

Blaze: Hudson Valley runs through November 20. Blaze: Long Island will runs through November 6.

35. A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical

Will Swenson (Hair) headlines as Neil Diamond, the gruff 1970s singer-songwriter sometimes dubbed the Jewish Elvis, in a biomusical by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) that charts the star's rise from Brooklyn to stadium fame. Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) directs a cast that also includes Mark Jacoby, Linda Powell and Moulin Rouge! standout Robyn Hurder. Expect hits like “I’m a Believer” (which Diamond wrote for the Monkees), “Solitary Man,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Forever In Blue Jeans," and, of course, “Sweet Caroline.”

36. Act & Sip NYC

If you're not a paint and sip kind of person, try Act & Sip, a beer-fueled acting workshop in an Off-Broadway Theater with expert instructors. They pair students off with partners and hand over the pages to a scene from a well-known iconic NYC sitcom or movie, offering tips along the way to help performers conquer stage fright and discover their inner actor. This event is perfect for bachelorette parties, after-work outings, or just a fun night with friends to get on stage with a little help from liquid courage. You don't need any experience, but you must be 21 or older and BYOB.

Upcoming event dates are on November 5, 12, 19 and 26.

37. 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 now 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.

38. Pop In The City

You can now live out your childhood dreams and launch down a slide into 500,000 translucent balls at Pop In The City.

The giant, 120-foot-long bouncy castle made its city debut in August with interconnected domes with interactive elements of interconnected domes, each housing separate interactive elements.

In this giant bouncy castle, expect NYC-themed fun with big apples, big buildings, big pizza, and other NYC icons made in inflatable art, as well as a “glitterball dome” inspired by Studio 54 with a performance stage, fun lighting and special effects, 100 shimmering disco balls and more.

There will also be DJs, emcees and musicians who will bring the house down and a “Winter in the City” space filled with snowballs, snowmen and actual snow.

Pop In The City will be in the plaza adjacent to Greeley Square Park on Broadway between 32nd and 33rd Streets through November 17. Tickets start at $20.

39. 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 show runs through January 14, 2023.

40. 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

— Saturday, December 10

41. Timberland Stoop

Timberland is bringing a series of creator-led workshops, merch customizations, and musical performances to the city at Timberland Stoop. 

Here's what's coming up:

— Saturday, November 5:  Old Fulton Plaza, Dumbo
Woodworking workshop with Bevelish Creations

— Saturday, November 12: Mercer Street, SoHo
Upcycling workshop with Tiempo de Zafra

— Saturday, November 19: Fordham Plaza, Bronx
Beekeeping lecture with Boogie Down Bronx Honey

42. 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.

43. "Moving Chains"

A hefty, both in form and in function, new piece of art will take up residence on Governors Island this weekend.

"Moving Chains," by Charles Gaines, is a giant, 110-foot-tall kinetic sculpture featuring sturdy chains that rotate overhead. The monument "addresses the reality of systemic racism in the United States of America through embodied and visual experience and provides critical historical context on our extraordinary political division today."

The new project is the island's largest public art commission to date and you can see it through June 2023. It's presented in partnership with Times Square Arts.

44. 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.

45. “She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia, ca. 3400–2000 B.C.”

Pop quiz: Who’s the world’s first author?

Nope, it's not Homer. It's not a man at all. 

A new exhibit at The Morgan pays tribute to that trailblazing author, a woman named Enheduanna, a high priestess and poet, the world’s first author known by name, who wielded considerable religious and political power. The exhibition, called “She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia, ca. 3400–2000 B.C.” is on view at the museum in Manhattan’s Murray Hill starting tomorrow, October 14.

Ancient sculptures, reliefs and cuneiform tablets bring to life women’s experiences in religious, social, economic, and political spheres—and much of it rings familiar today. 

Here's our full report on the exhibit.

46. Firehouse: The Photography of Jill Freedman

In an artistic representation of heroism and heart, the late photographer Jill Freedman lived among the firefighers 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. 

47. 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.

48. '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. 

49. 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 now open in midtown Manhattan at 529 Fifth Avenue by 44th Street running 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 right here.

50. 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 newly opened exhibition "Cloaked Crusader: George Washington in Comics and Pop Culture."

51. Causeway

Two lost souls find comfort in each other in this effective slow-burner set in New Orleans. Directed by New Yorker Lila Neugebauer, Causeway features one of Jennifer Lawrence’s best and most subtle performances as Lynsey, a soldier who is recovering after an explosion in Afghanistan. She’s told that it will require considerable physio and time for her to recover both physically and mentally. When she’s eventually discharged home, it’s clear that she is still suffering from PTSD and memory issues – and that ‘home’ isn’t exactly where the heart is.

See it on Apple TV+ worldwide Nov 4; here's our reviewer's full take.

52. Armageddon Time

For his eighth film, American writer-director James Gray (The Lost City of Z) has delivered his most personal work yet. It’s funny, moving and stirring – and all the more remarkable for sticking so closely to reality. With only a few dramatic embellishments, all the events depicted actually happened to Gray.

The show opened in US theaters this week, and here's what our film critic had to say about it.

53. Something in the Dirt

Dreamweavers, visionaries, plus actors… filmmaking pair Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s latest DIY sci-fi bubbles with mad ideas and eerie pre-apocalyptic vibes. It’s easy to see why the duo have been recruited by Marvel to direct some of its headtrip Moon Knight series: headtrips are what they do – albeit they’re usually the ones on screen experiencing them.

In US theaters Nov 4; read our review first.

54. Sloomoo Institute slime museum

Part visual splendor, part olfactory wonder and part ooey-gooey sensory fun, Sloomoo Institute’s slime museum is reopening on Saturday, September 24 after a renovation. This captivating playground welcomes all ages to its home in SoHo—or “SooHoo,” in Sloomoo parlance (see what they did there?).

Here are five things not to miss at Sloomoo, including a chance to get slimed and a DIY slime making activity.

55. Gamehaus

Have some fun this weekend 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. 

56. Las Flores de mi País

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with "Las flores de mi país," an exhibition featuring artwork by more than 20 artists. Their pieces explore interpretations of Latinx culture with imagery of native flora. The art uses botanicals as inspiration, symbols, a medium to create designs, a historical reference, and in textile design that reflects a culture or tradition.

Las flores de mi país (“The Flowers of my Country”) is presented by NYC Parks’ Latino Society and NYC Parks' Arts & Antiquities. It's free to visit at The Arsenal Gallery in Central Park through November 10.

57. Deluxx Fluxx

A new nightlife venue called Deluxx Fluxx has taken over the former Studio at Webster Hall location, a 4,200-square-foot space beneath the famed music venue in the East Village, inspired by early arcades, punk rock, hip-hop and graffiti culture.

The venue brings "an immersive visual and audial art space and arcade" that promises to reinvigorate the artist-centric venues that defined New York City nightlife in the early 2000s. Part interactive art project and part performance venue, expect live entertainment, DJs, pinball machines, "artfully weird" video games, custom video work, costumed performers, floor-to-ceiling blacklight art interiors and a day-glo design palette. Some of the arcade games offer their own New York City flair, like Crown Heights King where pigeons battle to be the king of the neighborhood.

Here's more about the nightlife venue.

58. 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 from September 30 through January 9, 2023.

59. Cuba Libre Comedy Show

This is the only stand-up comedy show in a Brooklyn Boathouse, boasting some of the best local talent for free on the shore of the Gowanus Canal. Cuba Libre is BYOB but beer, seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages are available for donation. Go see it every Friday night; check the group's Instagram for the weekly lineup.

60. The Lost Draft

Still working on that screenplay? Say goodbye to writer's block (hopefully) at Soho's newest coffee shop and creative space.

The Lost Draft, a newly opened film-inspired multipurpose space at 398 Broome Street (between Mulberry Street and Cleveland Place) promises to be a refuge for those eager to finally get those creative ideas on paper. Or on screen. 

Stop procrastinating and start writing, because The Lost Draft is open seven days a week from 7am-9pm, offering plenty of time to be creative. Here's our full story on the new cafe.

61. Hall des Lumières: Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion

Immersive art experiences in New York are getting the royal treatment with the upcoming opening of Hall des Lumières, the city's latest permanent center for custom-designed immersive events at the historic Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank by City Hall.

The new space just opened this week marking its launch with (what else?) an inaugural immersive exhibit about iconic Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. 

Tickets to "Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion" are already on sale right here. Given the magnitude of the new cultural center, you'd be remiss not to snag passes to the show right away but, just in case you need some other reasons to check out the space, we've got a few to share. 

62. Talea Beer Co. Cobble Hill

Brooklyn brewery Talea Beer Co. opened its first taproom in Williamsburg in early 2021, two years after it went from an idea to “the only exclusively female-founded brewery in NYC” by co-owners LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson. The duo set out to create “easy to love” beers that “cater to the palettes of both craft beer newcomers and connoisseurs.” Their light, bright, airy space quickly became a local favorite for its fruit-forward brews and seasonal suds. Talea also has locations in Cobble Hill and a taproom at Grand Central.

This fall, check out Talea's newest release, Bodegose, a collaboration with Dogfish Head Brewery that pays homage to the spirit of New York City bodegas.

63. Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

Bouncing back in style from her dystopian misfire The Bad Batch, Ana Lily Amirpour’s impish and enjoyably genre-bending fantasy sets a young woman with mysterious mind control powers, Mona Lisa Lee (Jeon Jong-seo), on the run in New Orleans. Like Amirpour’s excellent 2014 vamp western A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, it has a mischievous twinkle in its eye. Imagine Jim Jarmusch made Midnight Run and you’re on the right track.

Amirpour’s career to date offers a triptych of stories of women navigating men’s worlds, and needing all their nous and resources to survive in them – and this is her most straight-up enjoyable survivor tale yet. It’s a feminist parable that may not linger as long as in the mind as her more provocative debut, but it’s irresistible fun in the moment.

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. Here's our full review.

64. 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. 

65. 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.

66. 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 from beginning September 8 through August 27, 2023. 

67. 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.

68. When You See Them, You See Me

Explore the artwork of Robert Peterson at his debut solo exhibition hosted at Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem. In 13 life-scale oil on canvas figurative paintings, you'll see how Peterson aims to capture time through his art, highlighting Black family life as joyous, loving, and balanced. Peterson strives to shed light on the strength, resilience, and gentleness of the Black community that is hardly ever showcased.

Peterson’s works explore the mundane as a radical act of visibility for Black Americans, honing his work to focus on the Black family and drawing from his own experiences. Peterson’s monumental oil on canvas paintings depict Black individuals as both ordinary and regal, replacing iconographic regalia with the quotidian, and reframing embellished “crowns” with du-rags and jeans. His works are homages to the quiet heroism of daily life and challenge the politicized gaze upon Black people. His figures’ skin tones are rendered in rich polychrome: a joyous and exuberant expression of love of Black skin.

69. 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.

70. 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. 

71. Transplants Comedy Show

Head over to Q.E.D. Astoria for stand-up each Friday night with the Transplants Comedy Show. As the name suggests, the comedians on stage are not originally from New York City, so they'll be telling jokes and stories about NYC and their hometowns. Hear from Katie Boyle,  Lindsay Theisen, and Nick Simmons in this night of comedy, stand up and crowd work.

72. 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 fun. 

73. 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.

74. CATCH’N Ice Cream

A former Cold Stone Creamery employee has mastered the specific art of throwing ice cream in the air and catching it with scoopers before serving it to customers. Now, he has decided to turn his art into a brick-and-mortar business with CATCH’N Ice Cream at his new shop in SoHo at 65 Bleecker Street. Customers can expect the staffers at CATCH'N to chop, fold and throw the treat (with toppings!) before serving it in a cup. Interestingly enough, the balls of ice cream will be pre-scooped by a dedicated machine, so the spotlight will really fall on the acrobatics after a customer places an order.

New this fall: You can now take a peek “behind the counter” and join the expert in the CATCH’N Ice Cream kitchen to learn how to create and throw your own ice cream balls. Here's how to book the Behind the Counter Experience from Dylan Lemay, which has dates open through November 30.

75. ArtsDistrict Brooklyn

ArtsDistrict Brooklyn, also referred to as AD/BK, is a new immersive arts venue set that opens this week. 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 will host 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!

76. 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.

77. ’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.

78. Dimmer & Summer’s robot cat

There's aroving cat robot that sings, tells jokes and serves food at Dimmer & Summer, a new dim sum spot in Cobble Hill at 196 Smith Street between Baltic and Warren Streets. Opened by restaurateur Kenny Mei this past weekend as an homage to his Chinese roots, Dimmer & Summer offers traditional Northern and Southern Chinese dishes with a New York flair (like the robo-cat server, of course). It works. There’s just something about robots serving you delicious fare that excites us just so.

79. Outdoor Movies in NYC

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 you.

80. 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.

81. Portside at Brookfield Place

Portside, Brookfield Place's second seasonal waterfront pop-up, is officially open for business now through September and its on-site schedule of activities and programs looks incredibly fun. From 9am through 9pm daily, the free and open-to-the-public outpost will look like a nautical-inspired oasis complete with beautiful views of the New York Harbor. You can see the full roster of events right here, but we'd be remiss not to mention some standouts, including the beach read book club, which will offer participants a complimentary library of free books (one per person!). You can also sip on champagne while learning how to shuck oysters from professionals that belong to Red Oyster USA, enjoy an outdoor dance party, create a monogrammed beach tote that you'll likely use for the rest of the summer and partake in a seashell crafts hour. Outdoor seatings for groups of any size plus food and beverage options from Tartinery round out the awesome experience.

82. The 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 finally reopening in full, complete with a new climate change exhibit called "Sea Change." The exhibit is in the space beneath the Sea Cliffs exhibit and features underwater viewing of the California sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and African penguins. This is the final public exhibit to reopen from damage by Sandy, the aquarium says.

83. 'Living with the Walking Dead’ exhibit

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.

t'll 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. 

84. 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.

85. VALE(mini)GOLF

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.

86. Swingers NoMad

A bucolic 1920s English country golf club is on its way to NYC's concrete jungle! But with a twist. Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London brought with it 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.

87. The best rooftop bars

Many incredible eating and drinking destinations are poised in the sky like treehouses with cover charges. Among these rooftop bars are old New York throwbacks, party destinations and seaside terraces practically fashioned for Instagram. They each offer booze, some kind of view and an invitation for you to get high. Read on to see which ones are worth your time.

88. Analog City

The exhibit explores NYC before computers when industries grew through pneumatic tubes, telephone operators, linotype and teletype machines, and card catalogs.

 The exhibit records how the city thrived in the 20th century without the use of digital technology (like smartphones and computers) but through the use of the time's own technology. It's broken up into four sections—libraries, the news media and journalism,  the New York Stock Exchange, and the age of skyscrapers and infrastructure—that outline what tools were used to build them up and keep them up with the times.

It's on view through December 31. 

89. The Hidden Gem 'speakeasy'

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge's entry to its adjacent Elephant Room has been rechristened The Hidden Gem, has been polished into a new point among the constellation of NYC’s latter-day speakeasy conceits. Cloistered from Magic Hour’s skyline view outside, The Hidden Gem is past a double set of pink doors. A bouquet of disco balls is arranged overhead with more on tables at curved leather banquettes and on the bar, which is also appointed with blooms and greenery.

Its lighting is appropriately dim and its lines are sleek, in contrast to the characteristically Instagrammable cocktails like the bright red Cloud Nine with prosecco, cotton candy and a glitter rim and the Sex Panther with rum, pineapple, punch, lime and coconut cream, served in a vessel that mirrors the fruit, and copiously garnished. Both of those cocktails, and four more new additions, are available exclusively in The Hidden Gem, which is open Wednesday-Sunday from 3pm-12am. 

90. The Woo Woo speakeasy

The latest entrant to the speakeasy-theme scene, this Times Square spot offers a sexy 1980s vibe. The Woo Woo aims to evoke that last decade before widespread internet, its surrounding neighborhood of Times Square in those same, pre-Disney days, sex shops and, the reason for the season, speakeasies.

These themes are executed with a combination of graffiti that reasonably approximates the style of the time, vintage nude mags and video tapes, rouge neon, throwback punk show posters and the whole password thing. Drinks include odes to the era like the Donkey Kong cocktail and a Prince-inspired tipple with a butterfly pea flower “purple rain” ice cube. They’re also doing a cotton candy-topped cosmo and snacks like sliders and spring rolls. The sex shop elements are ornamental at the moment, but may turn retail in the future. 

91. An immersive exhibit at ARTECHOUSE

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

92. Kim's Video at the Alamo Drafthouse

Just a few weeks ago, the iconic Kim's Video and Music—the video and music retail store that first opened in the East Village back in 1986—made its grand return to New York City, opening inside the newly launched Alamo Drafthouse location on Liberty Street. You'll find all the films at the Alamo store which, as an on-site plaque makes clear, is actually dedicated to the municipality of Salemi "and its commitment to the promotion, maintenance and return of the collection."

93. Smorgasburg

Now in its twelfth year, the annual, weekly outdoor food festival has returned to several New York City locations, and beyond. More than a dozen new vendors are slated to join the lineup of 60+ returning food artisans. (Pandemic kitchen hobbyists should know that new vendors are still being accepted, and can apply for consideration online.)

94. The Brooklyn Flea (Dumbo)

The Brooklyn Flea is undoubtedly one of the most popular flea markets to hit in NYC if you're looking for the best selection of throwback wares and records, which you certainly wouldn’t find in just any vintage clothing store or record store in the city.

The food selection is also top-notch since the creators also operate one of the city’s best food markets: Smorgasburg. 

The Brooklyn Flea DUMBO is now open. Brooklyn Flea also operates in Chelsea year-round on Saturdays and Sundays, 8am-5pm, and the new Hester Flea on Saturdays, 11am-6pm.

95. Daphne disco club

It's not every day that a new nightclub opens in New York City, especially one that harks back to an old sort of New York—when nightclubs were the city's premiere destinations for some after-hours fun. Which is why Daphne, a new subterranean spot under Hotel 50 Bowery in Chinatown, is so special. Upon entering the massive 2,500-square-foot space, patrons are pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful silk pink flower installation by art studio Floratorium. Dazzling disco balls also permeate the premises, calling back to a time when the dance club you frequented was just as important as where your apartment was located. 

96. An Asian-American afternoon tea session

Kitsby, a dessert shop in Brooklyn, has a new menu item that will surely entice you to visit Williamsburg, where the shop is located. Dubbed The Kit, the signature offering is a tray of bites that represents "second generation baking." Consider it Kitsby's very own Asian American spin on afternoon tea. 

The tray, which costs $38 per person or $70 for two people, comes with ten sweet and savory pastries. These include a black sesame financier, a five-spice shortbread, an asiago lop cheong roule, a mocha mousse cake plus a slew of other bite-sized treats. You'll also get to choose one entrée to go with your order. 

97. 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.

98. Furry Fridays at the AKC Museum of the Dog

Bring your dog to the AKC Museum of the Dog at these special after-hours events called Furry Fridays hosted on select Fridays. Tickets are $20 per person and $5 per dog.

The Museum of the Dog has more than 180 sculptures and paintings of four-legged furballs as well as a “Meet the Breeds” table, which provides info on all 193 AKC recognized dog breeds, and other interactive fun.

99. MJ

The authorized biomusical MJ wants very much to freeze Michael Jackson in 1992: It’s a King of Pop-sical. Expertly directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, MJ does about as well as possible within its careful brief. In and of itself, it is a deftly crafted jukebox nostalgia trip. Lynn Nottage’s script weaves together three dozen songs, mostly from the Jackson catalog. The music and the dancing are sensational. And isn’t that, the show suggests, really the point in the end? Doesn’t that beat all?

100. Our Composite Nation: 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.

You'll 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. 

101. Mari

Dinner at Mari’s high-gloss, muted-hued chefs counter or in the comfortable dining room beyond starts with a beautiful hansang. Clockwise to the center: An opaque acorn jelly, oyster with makgeolli mignonette, eggplant jeon (on a skewer like an insider wink to Kochi), Wagyu tartare and a sensational sphere of one or two-bite crispy egg rice, best tasted in that order.  It’s real "kid in a candy store" stuff, all exquisitely executed save for maybe one too many drops of sauce on the tartare, which almost obscures that inimitable beef flavor that people pay a premium for. Each element’s expert preparation and presentation would be notable on their own. Combined in this tantalizing fashion, they articulate the abundance to come and easily establish Mari’s quickly earned best-of status.

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

Halloween in NYC guide

Get ready ghouls and girls for an epic Halloween in NYC! The city is bursting with terrifying haunted houses, Halloween parties and more pumpkin-packed events. Whether you enjoy getting seriously spooked while watching the scariest horror films of all time or prefer to celebrate Halloween by leaf peeping while visiting some of the greatest fall getaways from NYC, we’ve got you covered.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in fall

The 50 best things to do in NYC for locals and tourists

AUGUST 2020: New York City has gone through the proverbial fire and is now starting to come out the other side with our favorite museums, big attractions, and restaurants reopening after months of closure. While things are still a bit precarious, we're hoping these openings signal the light at the end of this long tunnel. We're eager to get back to the cultural institutions, shops, restaurants and iconic places that make New York City the best city in the world.

Check back as we will be updating this list more often than we did prior to lockdown to reflect New York City as it reopens.

Every day, our staffers are eating, drinking, partying, gigging and generally appreciating their way throughout this fair town of ours. Which makes pinning down the most essential New York activities kinda…tough. We need to include the classics, naturally—art museums in NYC, stellar New York attractions, killer bars and restaurants in NYC—but also spotlight the more recent or little-known gems that we truly love. Consider the below your NYC Bible. 

Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList.You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.