New Yorkers really like celebrating the New Year, as many times in as many ways as possible. That’s only one of the reasons the two-weeks of merriment for the Lunar New Year are such an exciting time.
The gala welcome for the Year of the Rat, first of the zodiac animals believed to summon wealth, began on January 25, 2020, and will run through February 9, 2020.
Lunar New Year celebrations are filled with colors and culture
Parades, concerts, presentations, and extraordinary firework displays are scheduled throughout New York City. The city’s several Chinatowns and numerous enclaves of Asian communities eagerly share the rich cultural experience with tourists and well-wishers. Among the fetes are longstanding favorites such as Lower Manhattan’s 21st annual Chinatown parade. New additions to the revelry include the first-ever Asian comedy festival and unique mixings of arts and science at the Lewis Latimer House Museum.
Whether you are a die-hard New Yorker or “just” a New York enthusiast, you can now get your NY-fix when you are in the United Kingdom.
Manahatta, a New York-inspired cocktail bar is opening in York on November 8.
A real New York City vibe in York’s Manhatta bar
The venue, like its namesake, will have many unique Instagrammable features, from neon signs and peacock blue booths. Stacked burgers like the ‘Godfather,’ a stack of beef, fried chicken, pancetta, pulled pork and Monterey Jack Cheese, is sure to please. The Beyond Brooklyn is a veggie option, with pulled BBQ jack fruit, vegan cheese, and spicy chipotle. Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, Bloody Marys, beer, and unique NY cocktails are all available.
An in-house DJ will fill Manhatta with NY-style music, including tunes played by various ensembles in NYC subways.
A private dining room on the top
mezzanine, and other areas available for private hire, provide more intimate
spaces to enjoy a taste of New York when visiting York.
For most New York City families, visiting a landfill is not on the top of the to-do list. But the Freshkills Park is a public park and wildlife habitat the whole family can enjoy.
Once
the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills has been gradually transitioning from
a trash-dump into a nature-gem in Staten Island. At 2,200 acres,
Freshkills Park is nearly triple the size of Central Park and the
largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It is built on
what was once the largest landfill in the world (Fresh Kills Landfill
ceased operations in 2001). Now the landscape is being engineered with layers
of soil and infrastructure, making it a most unexpected place for wildlife,
recreation, science, education, and art.
For
obvious safety reasons, the landfill is covered by different layers of geomaterials
to stabilize landfilled waste, separate the waste from the environment and park
visitors, and prevent the release of landfill gas to the atmosphere.
As the park is being built in phases, with the entire expanse set to open to the public in a few years, free tours and events provide early access for learning and exploration of more than 700 acres and eight miles of trails. Family activities include cycling (bring your own bike or borrow one there), guided walks with groups like New York City Audubon and the Urban Park Rangers, kite flying, kayaking, wind chime design, and upcycled art. This is a great activity even if you don’t live nearby: Free shuttle buses transport visitors to and from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.
If you love dogs and you live in (or are visiting) New York City, this is the perfect spot. The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog is opening in February, or actually reopening. The museum was founded in 1982 but closed down for a number of years. The museum is devoted to the “aesthetic enjoyment” of everything canine.
The new museum will be at 101 Park Avenue in New York City and will have exhibits and a library. In the library, people can research dog breeds and check up interesting facts about their own pooch.
As Alan Fausel, Executive Director of the AKC Museum of the Dog, said “It is exciting to bring this collection back to New York City. This Museum is a beautiful ode to man’s best friend and we are thrilled to bring these pieces and exhibitions to new audiences.”
Discovery’s Cash Cab is coming back to New York City this year, giving residents and tourists another chance to get rich via their commute. According to the network, the show will return this coming July, still to be hosted by Ben Bailey.
Cash Cab was off the air for five years before being revived last summer for its 11th season. The premise remains the same: passengers are challenged to a trivia game in exchange for big-money prizes. In the past, famous passengers included Matthew Perry and Brooke Shields.
According to amNewYork, “An exact release date hasn’t yet been announced. But, it’ll coincide with the 30th anniversary of the network’s fan-favorite Shark Week special. So, the premiere “Cash Cab” episode is sure to feature some fishy video clips and questions.”
Big Apple Helicopter Tours to see NYC from a new perspective
Just imagine seeing all of New York in just 15 minutes! All you need to do is fly above the traffic and noise and buildings to see New York like you never have before. Of course for flying you will need a helicopter, which is a thrill in and of itself.
Your amazing helicopter tour begins at the Downtown Heliport, located near Battery Park and Wall Street. Climb aboard and rise above the crowds and see from on high the World Financial Center, the Empire State Building, the famed art-deco Chrysler Building, the Woolworth Building and the Met Life tower. Then turn away from the island and head to Ellis Island, get a close up look at the Statue of Liberty, and then turn right, and follow the great Hudson River up to the George Washington Bridge near the northern end of Manhattan.
For more information on how you can visit New York via helicopter, contact Viator.
Urban historians Justin Ferate and Peter Laskowich bring tourists on an adventure of discovery in the area surrounding Grand Central Station. This 90-minute award winning walking tour explores the secrets of the Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal; the decorative hubcaps and roadsters on the wall of the Chrysler Building; the favorite meeting place in Midtown Manhattan of Greek Gods Mercury, Hercules and Minerva; and a collection of other wonderful idiosyncrasies of this iconic neighborhood.
You can join the tour every Friday all through the year. Meet at 12:30pm at the sculpture court at 120 Park Avenue on the southwest corner of East 42nd Street and Park Avenue directly opposite Grand Central Terminal. It is absolutely free and no reservations are needed.
Low on bucks but big on curiosity? Try a fascinating and enlightening visit to the latest free attraction in Lower Manhattan: the African Burial Ground National Monument. Why haven’t you heard of this historical spot before? Well, it all began in 1991 when a burial ground for slaves was unearthed during the first stages of a new construction project. Over 400 wooden caskets were discovered only 16 to 28 feet below the street. Its development has been progressing over the past twenty years, and the site only recently became New York City’s newest National Monument.
From the end of the 17th century until 1794 about 15,000 men, women and children of African descent, both free and enslaved, were buried in this 6.6 – acre cemetery; denied the right to be buried in the nearby Trinity Church graveyard. At the time the burial ground was in use New York had more slaves than any North American city outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
In 1993 the site became a National Monument, and the first one dedicated to Africans of early New York and Americans of African descent. Visiting is free. The address is 290 Broadway between Duane and Elk Streets. For more information call 212-637-2019.
What would New York be without the fashion industry, and what would the fashion industry be without shoppers? This is the question that Fashion’s Night Out answers. All the crucial elements of the fashion industry take part, including the planets of designers, models, fashion editors, and other interested celebrities, all revolving around the great shining sun of shoppers.
Inaugurated in 2009 as a way to restore buyer’s confidence, boost the economy of an industry that had been in the doldrums, celebrate fashion and to put the fun back in shopping for fashion, Fashion’s Night Out, or FNO, is returning with a vengeance this September 8th.
FNO is the opening gambit of the entire fashion season, and it is quite an event. From 6pm to 11pm shoppers will flock to their favorite fashion outlets, drinking champagn, shopping till they drop, and enjoying other fashion related exclusive events.
Check-out the official website of Fashion’s Night Out for a complete list of events and help planning your special evening.
