ARTech: Adventures In Art + Technology

Trip.com is an innovative planning tool that tailors recommendations for places to stay, eat and play to your specific tastes. It also allows you to share your great experiences with people who have the same interests as you; people in your “tribes.”

Trip.com’s TripPicks This Week feature empowers you to discover and take advantage of great events, openings and exhibits throughout the city each week.

Here are some exciting events and sites to check out this week in Downtown New York, courtesy of Trip.com. Visit the Trip.com site or download the app for more upcoming events.

1. Craft Beer Fest
Metropolitan Pavilion (Flatiron)
Friday, Mar. 24-Saturday, Mar. 26 (Check site for entry times)

You’re in a for a real brewer’s treat at NYC Craft Beer Festival. Over 75 breweries from across the country will be showcasing their craft beers, meads, ciders (including limited release and seasonal selections) and spirits. Chat with industry professionals, shop an array of cool vendors, play games and purchase yummy food! Tickets start at $55.

2. Adventures in Art and Technology
459 West 14th St. (Meatpacking District)
Wednesday-Thursday from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PMm; Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

ARTech: Adventures in Art and Technology is a new pop-up activity space that allows kids and adults to take part in “STEAM-based experiential workshops, installations, and interactive moments.” Whether it’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Art or Mathematics, these fun activity stations will foster curiosity, teach problem solving and build confidence. FREE!

3. New Retro Restaurant Bar
The Flower Shop (Lower East Side)
Sunday-Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM; Thursday-Saturday from 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM

Flower Shop, the new 3,000 square foot bi-level restaurant/lounge is basically a 1970s adult playground. Upstairs, feast on oysters with grapefruit and black pepper mignonette, or fried chicken with curry sauce and burnt lime. Then, head downstairs, to the party den, to play a game of pool, browse the jukebox tunes, stare aimlessly at the fish tank or sit back with with the Pirate Rose cocktail by the funky, pink fireplace.

4. Coffee Shop Spa
Chillhouse (Lower East Side)
Daily from 8am-8pm (Spa services begin at 10am)

Want the ultimate chill experience? Indulge in a toxin-free manicure or a relaxing massage, accompanied by ube-bey latte, beet-root horchata or a glass of organic wine and treats from Maman, Po-Po’s and Ra Bliss Balls. Chillhouse opens Tuesday, Mar. 21, providing us with a much needed respite from this long, ugly winter.

5. Mykki Blanco with Cakes Da Killa
Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side)
Sunday, Mar. 26 at 9pm

Rapper, performance artist, writer and activist, Mykki Blanco is a force to be reckoned with! Unconventional, radical and flashy, her rhymes are sharp – careful not to get burned! She tours with Cakes Da Killa. $17.

6. The American Line
Skarstedt (Chelsea)
Tuesday-Friday from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM; Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

A line speaks of borders, directions and roads. The American Line is an exhibition that “interrogates our many understandings of the line.” On displays are paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Liz Larner, Sol LeWitt, Paul McCarthy, Richard Prince, Fred Sandback, Lawrence Weiner, Christopher Wool and Sue Williams. FREE!

7. Conveyer-Belt Sushi Chain in NYC
Yo! (Flatiron)
Monday-Thursday from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM; Friday-Saturday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM; Sunday from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM

The U.K.-based conveyer-belt sushi chain Yo! has arrived in New York! Creative takes on Japanese street food and sushi, color coded by price, are up for grabs. Try the New York City exclusive Avocado Nori Taco, the flame-seared Salmon and Ikura Sushi or the crispy Katsu Sando.

ARTech: Adventures In Art + Technology is a free children’s exhibit produced by the Meatpacking Business Improvement District (BID). This is a brand-new initiative by the BID to foster an appreciation for STEAM disciplines. Despite being known primarily for food and nightlife, the Meatpacking District has witnessed the successful opening of new businesses all across the neighborhood that intersect technology with art. From Hermès and The Whitney, to Samsung and Lexus, these bold brands have drawn inspiration from seemingly opposite industries of art and technology to develop products and experiences that when combined, are perfectly in sync.

Capitalizing on this innovative thinking and to show the intersection of these two fields in daily life, the Meatpacking BID has partnered with the Children’s Museum of the Arts and the New York Hall of Science to host an indoor exhibit where children can explore and participate in STEAM workshops and activities. The exhibit opened on Mar. 1 and will remain open to the public through Apr. 29. More info on the exhibit can be found at www.meatpacking-district.com/events/artech-adventures-in-art-tech.