Cinco de Mayo Specials at Olly Olly

May 1-5 Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, a new vertical spit has been installed at Ploo within Olly Olly Market in Chelsea, and there will be Al Pastor specials next week! Ploo is known for their street food classics and beloved regional fare from Mexico by Chefs Roxanna Mejía and Pablo Rojas. Ploo and Pizza Friendly Pizza have teamed up for a Cinco de Mayo special pizza running May 1-5 featuring Al Pastor, Grilled Pineapple, Arbol Marinara, Onion, Cilantro. 

Ploo will also be featuring a menu for Cinco de Mayo (Friday 5.5 only) including: 

Nachos, Tacos & Machetes

Ploo Nachos $18 (with choice of pastor, carnitas, steak or chicken)
Pastor Machete (Debut) $16
Three tacos for $16 

Frozen Margarita $16
Mangonada Mezcal Slushie $16
Tamarind Michelada $10.

For more information, visit ollyollymarket.com

Lower East Side Film Festival

Dazed and Confused

May 4-14 The Lower East Film Festival, now in its 13th year, is taking place from May 4 – 8 at the Village East Cinema, the DCTV Firehouse Cinema plus virtually through May 14.

The downtown indie festival continues its expanded viewership with a hybrid approach (in-person plus streaming) focused on highly curated programming and one-of-a-kind events and talent, including Zosia Mamet, (The Decameron (Netflix), Aristotle Athari (SNL, Silicon Valley), Jo Firestone (Shrill), Ana Fabrega (Los Espookys), Phoebe Tyers (Search Party), Erin Darke (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Good Girls Revolt), Sophie Zucker (comedian/writer The Daily Show, Dickinson), Yaron Lotan (FX’s FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE), Marquis Rodriguez (When They See Us), Isaac Powell (Dear Evan Hansen, American Horror Story), and many more. LESFF will also showcase a number of notable narrative and documentary feature film premieres. lesfilmfestival.com

CINCO DE MAYO at Malibu Farm New YorK

Malibu Farm’s Cantarita-Patron Silver tequila, splash of soda, lemon, lime, orange, finished with a tajin rim.

May 5 This year, Malibu Farm New York at The Seaport will be offering “The Cantarita,” a delicious and refreshing tequila-based cocktail to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, served in a beautiful ceramic cup decorated with white and green to pay homage to the Mexican flag. If you’re in the mood to kick off the festivities a few days early, Malibu Farm offers their Tacos & Tequila menu every Tuesday. Stop in for a trio of tacos and a craft margarita for only $35.

Gilder Center Opens at AMNH

Gilder Center exterior. Photo: Iwan Baan

May 4 Open to the public today, the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation opens at the American Museum of Natural History, a stunning 230,000 square foot space that includes a vivarium, an insectarium, a library, an interactive theatre, a restaurant, and more. You can read more about it here. amnh.org.

GItano ISLAND

May 4 It’s back! Escape to Gitano Island! The modern Mexican restaurant, Mezcal bar, and waterfront lounge on Governors Island is open once again seasonally from May – October. The restaurant is open daily from noon for brunch and from 4 pm for sunset cocktails and dinner. Read more about Gitano Island here. gitano.com

Seaport Sounds X Cinco de Mayo at The Seaport

May 5 Salsa your way into the weekend this Cinco de Mayo at The Seaport. Come on down to Seaport Square and warm up with a salsa lesson led by two dance pros and enjoy a live performance by local salsa band Grupo Centeno. The band will play two sets — at 6:30pm and 7:45pm. In between, the music will continue, and you’ll have the chance to show off your newfound salsa skills. Event is FREE. Registration required here.

Seaport Sounds is presented by Heineken.

Champagne and Cheese Pairing on Classic Harbor Line

May 5, 12, 19, 26 Hop aboard Classic Harbor Line’s 1920’s inspired yacht Friday nights, for an 1.5 hour cruise, and enjoy an intimate, low capacity cruise, sipping champagne while taking in the amazing city sites. Enjoy a flight of three worldly sparkling wines, paired with a custom cheese plate, curated by our in-house wine expert & cheese master! Sail at 6:15pm. Many more types of cruises to explore here. sail-nyc.com

Wagyu Beef Tartare at Vestry

May 14 Michelin-Starred Chef Shaun Hergatt is opening his SoHo hotspot, Vestry on a Sunday to make Mother’s Day extra special! Serving a three course prix-fixe menu for $120, Vestry is offering some of the regular menu’s favorites plus seasonal specials to celebrate the occasion. For the first course, you get options such as Beef Tartare and brioche toast, Shigoku Oysters, Smoked Salmon Carpaccio and Nidori Hen Egg with Kaluga Caviar. Second course offerings include Snake River Farm Wagyu, Carnaroli Rice Risotto, Carolina White Prawns and Local Black Bream. And of course, it is not a celebration without a sweet something! Choose from Coconut Tapioca, Homemade Cheesecake, Satsuma Orange or Guanaja Chocolate for the happiest ending! vestrynyc.com

Celebrate the Return of Red Umbrellas (and Spring) in the Meatpacking District

Ongoing-Spring has officially returned to The Meatpacking District, and so have The Red Umbrellas! meatpacking-district.com

Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

May 5 Opening at the Met Fifth Avenue in the Tisch Galleries, the show will spotlight Lagerfeld’s unique working methodology, focusing on the late designer’s stylistic vocabulary as it was expressed in through lines—aesthetic and conceptual themes that appear time and again—in his fashions from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019. More than 150 garments will be on display, and Lagerfeld’s sketches will accompany most of the pieces, underscoring his complex creative process and collaborative relationships with his premières d’atelier. Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty runs through July 16, 2023. metmuseum.org.

Rooftop ready at The Dominick

Dominick Hotel’s Terrace on 7

May 26 Officially re-opening for the season Terrace on 7, at The Dominick Hotel SoHo, is an indoor-outdoor oasis complete with exclusive cabanas. The terrace features an outpost of the Asian-Hawaiian culinary concept El Ta’koy, which serves up a variety of seafood and vegetable forward dishes alongside large-format (perfect for sharing) rum, tequila and mezcal cocktails. In addition, the newly launched Sisley-Paris Spa located on the same floor as the Terrace on 7 rooftop and offers nine treatment rooms and three private spa suites with a balcony, will offer an exclusive menu of spa treatments to enjoy poolside. dominickhotel.com

From Depero to Rotella: Italian Commercial Posters Between Advertising and Art at CIMA

Now-June 10 Now open at the Center for Italian Modern Art in SoHo is a new exhibition, From Depero to Rotella: Italian Commercial Posters Between Advertising and Art. The show examines the merge between avant garde artwork and commercial posters in Italy, focusing on the interwar years and the early post-World War II era, during the country’s economic boom.  Click here to read more on this exhibit.

THIERRY MUGLER: COUTURISSIME AT BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Alan Strutt (British, born 1967). Yasmin Le Bon, Palladium, London, 1997. Evening Standard, October 1997. Haute couture Fall/Winter 1997–98 collection (“La Chimère”). © Alan Strutt 

Now -May 7. Final days! Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, now open at Brooklyn Museum, is the first retrospective to explore the fascinating, edgy universe of French designer and creator of iconic perfumes Thierry Mugler. A fashion visionary, Mugler’s bold silhouettes and unorthodox techniques and materials—including glass, Plexiglas, vinyl, latex, and chrome—made their mark on fashion history. The exhibition features more than 100 outfits ranging from haute couture pieces to stage costumes, alongside custom accessories, sketches, videos, images by leading fashion photographers, and spectacular installations that mirror Mugler’s futuristic approach. For more information, visit brooklynmuseum.org.

THE TIN BUILDING

things to do downtown nyc

Now open seven days a week, the latest from restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is Tin Building, a sprawling 53,000 square foot market down by The Seaport. It includes six full service restaurants, six fast casual outlets, four bars, along with a food market and curated gourmet grocery packed with specialty ingredients, meats, cheeses, and fresh produce. tinbuilding.com You can read more about Jean-Georges in DOWNTOWN’s Winter 2023 issue, out now!

JACKIE ROBINSON MUSEUM

Photo: Ivo Philbert

Ongoing. Nearly 75 years after Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF), founded by Robinson’s wife Rachel, finally opens its doors, at 75 Varick Street. The nearly 20,000 square-foot space honors the life and legacy of a ballplayer who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, but also played an integral role in the Civil Rights movement.  jackierobinson.org.

Halles des Lumieres: Gustav Klimt

Photo: Eric Spiller

Ongoing The Hall des Lumieres is the brainchild of Culturespaces, the creators of the original immersive digital art centers including Ateliers des Lumieres, with international event leaders IMG. The inaugural exhibition, Gustav Klimt: Gold In Motion, explores the revolutionary art of the Viennese painter, and has been created exclusively for Hall des Lumieres by an artistic team led by Gianfranco Iannuzzi. Hall des Lumieres will present new art experiences based on the work of world-renowned artists every 10 to 12 months Tickets on sale now. halldeslumieres.com

THE TIN BUILDING

things to do downtown nyc

Now open seven days a week, the latest from restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is Tin Building, a sprawling 53,000 square foot market down by The Seaport. It includes six full service restaurants, six fast casual outlets, four bars, along with a food market and curated gourmet grocery packed with specialty ingredients, meats, cheeses, and fresh produce. tinbuilding.com You can read more about Jean-Georges in DOWNTOWN’s Winter 2023 issue, out now!

JACKIE ROBINSON MUSEUM

Photo: Ivo Philbert

Ongoing. Nearly 75 years after Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF), founded by Robinson’s wife Rachel, finally opens its doors, at 75 Varick Street. The nearly 20,000 square-foot space honors the life and legacy of a ballplayer who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, but also played an integral role in the Civil Rights movement.  jackierobinson.org.

Halles des Lumieres: Gustav Klimt

Photo: Eric Spiller

Ongoing The Hall des Lumieres is the brainchild of Culturespaces, the creators of the original immersive digital art centers including Ateliers des Lumieres, with international event leaders IMG. The inaugural exhibition, Gustav Klimt: Gold In Motion, explores the revolutionary art of the Viennese painter, and has been created exclusively for Hall des Lumieres by an artistic team led by Gianfranco Iannuzzi. Hall des Lumieres will present new art experiences based on the work of world-renowned artists every 10 to 12 months Tickets on sale now. halldeslumieres.com

MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE: THE HOLOCAUST-WHAT HATE CAN DO

things to do downtown nyc

Ongoing at The Museum of Jewish Heritage, the new core, 12,000 square-foot exhibition features more than 700 original objects and survivor testimonies from the Museum’s collection, in objects donated by survivors and their families. Many of the items are from Ukraine. mjhnyc.org.

QCNY Spa on Governors Island

things to do downtown nyc

Ongoing QC NY Spa at Governors Island. Now you can take advantage of a spa filled day on Governors Island any day of the year, enjoying the most incredible views of the Manhattan skyline.  There are steam rooms, saunas, and architecturally stunning relaxation rooms. qcny.com