Photo by Julia Meyer.
MONDAY NIGHTS Bryant Park’s Movie Nights takes place throughout the summer every Monday night. So grab your movie buddy and a cozy blanket and head down to lawn for a great time. The lawn opens at 5pm and movies start at 8, leaving you with plenty of time to purchase your favorite beverage and snack. The movies for this month include Mission Impossible, Wayne’s World, Scream 2, and Beverly Hills Cop 2.
ONGOING The One World Observatory is be open to the public seven days a week. Get ready to be amazed at the jaw-dropping views at the top of the World Trade Center. This amazing tour is located on floors 100-102. Tickets starting from $43-$73 depending on what package you would like. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets upon arrival making sure they have room for you and your party for the day you would like to go. The World Trade Center is open from 9am-9pm Tuesdays- Sundays and 9am-7pm on Mondays. oneworldobservatory.com
ONGOING RiseNY takes guests of all ages through an immersive museum gallery exhibition followed by a sky-high tour of the Big Apple in the northeast’s first flying theater – the only attraction that allows guests to visit all of NYC’s top sights without breaking a sweat! The details: The 46-seat flight simulation ride is the first of its kind in Manhattan. You will be lifted 30 feet into the air and take in the splendor of NYC while suspended inside a 180-degree, 40-foot projection dome featuring 8K aerial footage that creates the sensation of flight. Full motion seats let you dip, turn and soar, while wind, mist, and scents heighten the experience. RiseNY is a must-do for families looking for air-conditioned activities with their kids during the hottest days of the year. Guests can explore the city’s history through galleries featuring rare artifacts from NYC’s pop-culture evolution, including favorites such as original Broadway costumes, reproduced television sets, and more extraordinary items throughout the finance, radio, film, music, and fashion halls.
ONGOING enjoy a fun, new experience at the Artechouse, open daily from 10 am- 10pm. This cool exhibit Life of a Neuron demonstrates what goes on inside the human brain allowing all visitors to learn and immerse in all the stages of a life of a neuron from beginning to end. Once you arrive, you will soon be guided to walk into a 3D model of the human neuron which is called the thinking cell. From there, the installation will allow you to explore technology and other interactive aspects of the exhibit. Tickets range anywhere between $25 or more and the whole exhibit takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes. What is also great about this is it is reasonable for all ages and they give a student and elderly discount to those prior to purchasing a ticket. https://www.artechouse.com/location/nyc/
JULY 4 Step inside the Signature Dinner Firework Cruise. Here you will have all the amazing cocktails and food at your disposal. Oh and did I mention dancing, you will be partying all night with the music from the DJ while you enjoy the bright colors of the fireworks on the water. Gather up a few friends and meet at Pier 15, 78 South St. New York NY 10038 to board the cruise and depart at 5:30 pm. This 4.5 hour sail will leave you speechless. Purchase tickets online starting at $299.90. https://www.cityexperiences.com/new-york/city-cruises/new-york-4th-of-july-signature-dinner-cruise-pier-15/
JULY 8 Bikini Kill at The Rooftop at Pier 17.
ONGOING The High Line. Enjoy endless views and pretty flowers as your walk through this beautiful green trail. This 1.45 mile long park path is the ultimate relaxation walk. Enjoy time to yourself or with a group of friends Monday-Sunday from 7-11. Oh and did I mention it’s FREE.
ONGOING Hungry, stop by any of the local Smorgasburg locations in the city. See what vendors have to offer while socializing with others, creating the perfect to meet people and enjoy your day or lunch break. Going all summer starting from 11-7 or 11-6 depending on location create memories and immerse in the food culture. The three locations near Downtown are Marsha P. Johnson State Park, Prospect Park on Sundays from 11am-6pm, and WTC on Fridays from 11am-7pm between Fulton Street and Church at The Oculus. smorgasburg.com
ONGOING Need some time to relax and take a breather? Collective Retreats is the place for you. Located on Governors Island, book your stay and have the ultimate weekend getaway from the city. Only an 8 minute ferry ride, you soon will be transported to the calm and peaceful environment. Reset from the hectic work week by enjoying yoga, bike rides, culinary classes, sunset and drink tastings. This one of a kind experience will allow you to not only enjoy yourself but make memories. Each activity offered is to showcase comfort and style allowing something for everyone to enjoy. https://www.collectiveretreats.com/governors-island/
JULY 4 The Seaport will bring the beach to Lower Manhattan, bringing fun activities to the public. All for the weekend, enjoy live music and other fun celebratory events from Fulton St. to Pier 17. Starting July 1 to Monday July 4th. Enjoy pop-up bars and a number of different food trucks only between Piers 16 and 17. Enjoy all the fun with a free entrance fee and immerse in the Fourth of July culture. theseaport.com
JULY 4 Enjoy a family friendly event for all of Lower Manhattan. Starting at the Battery and ending at Pier 16 at The Seaport, the 7th Annual Lower Manhattan Independence Day March will leave you wanting more. The purpose for the parade is to revive the patriotic traditions from years past and making them aware of what has happened in the beloved city. If you are around for the 4th, find a comfy spot and watch the parade.
THROUGH AUGUST 31 The Birth of Punk Exhibit is now on view at The Seaport. The Great Frog and Morrison Hotel Gallery, brings an immersive history of the rise of punk in NYC to the Seaport this summer. Artifacts and photos from Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, Chris Klein, Godlis and others, take visitors back into punk’s beginnings; video and Spotify audio narration add an essential layer—the music.
ONGOING QC NY Spa at Governors Island. Recently opened in March 2022, use summer days to take advantage of a spa filled day on Governors Island, enjoying the most incredible views of the Manhattan skyline. There are steam rooms, saunas, and architecturally stunning relaxation rooms.
DiscOasis is located Wollman Rink, in Central Park. Rendering by Constellation Immersive and David Korins
THROUGH OCTOBER 1 DiscOasis is an immersive, musical, and theatrical roller-disco experience , located Central Park’s Wollman Rink. Music curated by Grammy-winning musician and producer Nile Rodgers. thediscoasis.com
THROUGH JULY 29 Cindy Sherman 1977-1982 at Hauser & Wirth. The exhibit includes 69 film stills and portraits, where Sherman transforms herself through costumes, props, and backdrops to manipulate her own appearance.
THROUGH JAN 23 Lou Reed Caught Between the Twisted Stars at New York Public Library is the first large scale exhibition of Reed’s archive. The exhibit’s title, taken from one of Reed’s lyrics from “Romeo Had Juliette,” presents previously unseen works by the artist-musician, photographer, poet, and tai chi practitioner nypl.org.
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5 In America: An Anthology of Fashion at The Met Museum, is the second portion of a two-part exhibition exploring fashion in the United States. Men’s and women’s dress dating from the eighteenth century to the present will be featured in vignettes installed in select period rooms spanning ca. 1805 to 1915: a Shaker Retiring Room from the 1830s; a nineteenth-century parlor from Richmond, Virginia; a panoramic 1819 mural of Versailles; and a twentieth-century living room designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, among others. These mise-en-scènes will explore the role of dress in shaping American identity and address the complex and layered histories of the rooms.
To read Downtown’s coverage of In America: An Anthology of Fashion, click here.