Shaye Weaver

The best holiday markets are right here in NYC—full of both the holiday spirit and the most unique gifts out there. While fancy Christmas window displays may entice you, NYC's holiday markets often include ice skating, twinkling lights, great food vendors, and fun holiday activities. Shopping for the perfect gift doesn’t have to be stressful, make it fun at these holiday markets, from the Urbanspace Union Square Holiday Market to the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park and more. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Christmas in New York Stay in the Loop: Sign up for our free weekly newsletter to get the latest in New York City news, culture and dining. 

Ice skating in NYC is one of the city’s most beloved seasonal traditions. While some skating rinks are open year-round, ice skating in the winter — especially around the holidays — is a special treat that will warm your cockles with the spirit of the season. The iconic rink at Rockefeller Center and the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park are bursting with holiday cheer (and fab food and drinks), while low-key rinks at NYC parks offer a more chill experience. Make a day of it and combine ice skating with a visit to NYC’s best holiday markets and holiday light displays. Whether you’re a newbie, an enthusiast or a full-on triple salchow kind of skater, there’s a rink for you. If you’re not into gliding around on an icy surface but feel the need for speed, you can always opt for roller skating instead. Be sure to check opening dates and times for seasonal skating options!

It’s that time again. Every year, we ask thousands of city-dwellers to tell us the coolest spots in their cities. What are the places locals love and visitors flock to? Where are the exciting new openings across food, drink and culture? Where are people going out, hanging out and having fun? For the sixth year running, the results are in. Over 12,000 people had their say in this year’s shortlist, naming the neighbourhoods in their hometowns where everyone wants to be right now. Then, we narrowed down the selection with the insight and expertise of city editors and local experts who know their cities better than anyone else. To create and rank the final list, we considered factors including community and social ventures, access to open and green space, and thriving street life. In 2023, our neighbourhoods are more global than ever before. The rise and rise in post-pandemic digital nomadism has led to an explosion of brand-new community spaces, multi-purpose culture centres and more cafés than we can count on two hands. But while most of these neighbourhoods have experienced a transformation over recent years, they remain resolutely local at heart. Slick new developments and cool cafés might bring in new crowds, but neighbourhood stalwarts – from old pubs to family greengrocers – keep it real.  The world’s coolest neighbourhoods this year are, therefore, places with big personalities. Each area’s diversity is reflected in its food, culture and festivals. Community is key: local

Finding the perfect gift in NYC can be a challenge, especially for the person who has everything. That’s where an experience gift can come in handy. Giving an experience is certainly more personalized and fulfilling and caters to your loved ones’ interests. You can book a tour that offers behind-the-scenes access to the top New York attractions for your history-buff dad or snag tickets to the new Fotografiska museum for your art-loving bestie. Better yet: join them and share the experience together! And if you really can’t resist wrapping something up, you can always pick up a few stocking stuffers. RECOMMENDED: Best Christmas things to do in NYC

Just being in NYC in the fall is an experience in itself—for a few brief months, we all channel Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail and breathe in the crisp air filled with the smell of leaves and pretend we're in the middle of a love story for the ages (maybe we are). It's true that NYC is one of the most sought out places to experience the best that fall offers, from delightfully spooky Halloween events and festivals to gorgeous leaf-peeping opportunities and some of the best festivals. Autumn in NYC is tough to match! Keep scrolling to find out how to make this the best one yet.

New Yorkers love their city, so if you're shopping for a Gothamite, an NYC-themed gift is always a good bet. Of course, the ultimate gift would be an in-unit washing machine and dryer (a New Yorker can dream!), but that's a pipe dream. Sure, an envelope comprising a gift card for them to blow at either one of the best restaurants in town or on a pair of tickets to see one of the hottest shows on Broadway would slay this holiday, but our NYC-themed suggestions are a bit more creative than that. Anyway, here’s our NYC shopping list including items that show off some of the best New York attractions.RECOMMENDED: The full holiday gift guide

Searching for holiday gift ideas for someone who’s one of a kind? Luckily, so are the NYC gifts from New York’s brick-and-mortar shops. Before you start pinning through your BFF’s Amazon wish list, take a moment to sift through the unique gifts that can be found at the best places to go shopping in NYC. To get you started, we’ve curated a list of home decor stores with stunning antiques, the best bookstores with cute-as-hell merchandise, NYC’s specialty food stores and more only-in-New-York gift shops with extraordinary presents. Happy shopping!

How do you choose the most famous artists of all time? Art can be hard to define in the first place, perhaps it’s in the eye of the beholder, but there is a general consensus which artists have made (and are currently making) a lasting impact on their respective mediums. Whether you’re an art lover or not, you should know these artists for their achievements and their famous works of art. From iconic paintings to famous sculptures, these artists have produced works that stand the test of time. The works of many of these famous artists can be seen at museums around New York, like The Met, MoMA and the Guggenheim. It’s an amazing experience when you see a work of art by Da Vinci, Degas, Warhol, Pollak or Kusama in person. If you’re inspired by this list of amazing artists, explore the best art galleries in NYC to see artists who are on their way to becoming famous or take an art class and you might discover a talented artist within.

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! Locations such as the High Line, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens and other NYC locales all have a wide variety of pieces awaiting you, from massive sculptures to eye-popping murals and graffiti. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit. Below, find the best outdoor art in NYC to brighten up any fall day. RECOMMENDED: The best art shows and exhibits in NYC

If you're not running in this year's TCS New York City Marathon but you're traveling around the city, you'll want to check out the NYC Marathon road closures that affect all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. We’ve included all the roads, streets and bridges that will be closed on November 5, 2023 below. The 26.2-mile race is one the biggest NYC events in November, and if you aren’t registered, you can still get involved by acting as a spectator and cheerleader for the runners. For more information including where to watch the NYC marathon, read our guide to the annual event. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to NYC Marathon 2023 The NYC Marathon road closures you should know for 2023 Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge — Lower level, Staten Island-bound: 7am to 4pm Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge — Lower level, Brooklyn-bound: 7am to 4pm Fourth Avenue and 82nd Street: 6:45am to 1:15pm 74th Street, before Sixth Avenue: 6:45am to 1:15pm Fourth Avenue and 80th Street: 6:45am to 1:16pm Bay Ridge Parkway and Sixth Avenue: 6:45 a.m. to 1:16 p.m. Fourth Avenue and 63rd Street: 6:55am to 1:31pm Fourth Avenue and 43rd Street: 6:55am. to 1:47pm Fourth Avenue and 22nd Street: 6:55am to 2:03pm Fourth Avenue and 18th Street: 6:55am to 2:06pm Fourth Avenue and 3rd Street: 7:30am to 2:19pm Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue: 7:30am to 2:35pm Lafayette and Classon avenues: 7am to 2:51pm Bedford Avenue and Kosciuszko Street: 7:30am to 2:55pm Bedford Avenue between Wallabout Street

As much as New Yorkers love their city, they want to be transported to another space and time — at least that's the trend museums, companies and artists are capitalizing on. Immersive exhibits, events and experiences are popping up all over NYC these days. From theatrical experiences to trippy digital art taking over massive spaces, there's no shortage of ways to be immersed in a different reality. With so many ways to be immersed, we decided it was high time to round up all the cool, immersive events, exhibits and experiences happening in NYC now and coming up soon so you won't miss the chance to experience something new and potentially mind-blowing. RECOMMENDED: The best museum exhibitions in NYC right now

Some of the best comedians in the world call NYC home, and whether you're seeing them in Manhattan clubs or Bushwick dive bars, you're guaranteed to be blown away by NYC's talent. Here's our rundown of the venues where you can see the best comedy in NYC. A few tips for those new to NYC's comedy scene: Expect to sit close to strangers, often in basement surrounds. Many venues require a two-drink minimum, so check for that when you buy tickets. (Pro-tip: Comedy club cocktails aren't always the most appetizing drinks, so we stick to bottled or canned beverages like beer or White Claw). Overall, remember to have fun and enjoy a good laugh.RECOMMENDED: See all of the best comedy shows in NYC

The sixth annual holiday market at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is officially happening the first weekend of December (December 2 and 3, between noon and 5pm) at Assembly Road and Gee Avenue. This year’s happening is “Wallabout Wonderland” — a giant 100,000-square-foot event with more than 200 vendors selling locally made goods and products, from home goods to clothing and accessories, art, and wellness and skincare products and more. Specifically, The Lay Out, a Brooklyn-based community organization, has curated 75 small Black-owned brands for this year’s holiday market with perennial favorites such as BrklynBarSoap and new brands such as Adanne, From The Arxhive’s and Deandra Craigman’s, whose beautiful candles can be customized with engraving on-site. The Lay Out is bringing a gift-wrapping and shipping center, directly within Wallabout Wonderland, in partnership with Clinton Hill Sandbox, that allows attendees to shop local and easily get gifts shipped out to loved ones around the world. There will also be a Family Corner with fun and free activities for families with kids of all ages, such as cookie decorating, holiday card making, Lego building and a balloon house. For the adults: jewelry customizations, live music, and peppermint scrub hand massages. Guests can relax and unwind in the lounge while sipping on hot-coco and special holiday drinks from Kings County Distillery, Rooftop Reds, and Rustik Tavern, while listening to classic holiday hits. The market itself is complete

‘Tis the season in East Harlem, which will gather the best of its businesses the first three Saturdays in Harlem at La Marqueta. Favorite Harlem food vendors will provide eats and there will be makers and small businesses selling items for the holiday season, from 4 to 8pm. Turntable legends @tedsmooth and @djstorminnorman will curate the playlist with special guests, @uptownvinylsupreme. From 3 to 5pm, kids’ activities will be available, including a visit from Santa.

Brooklyn Pop-up has a full line-up of great holiday markets this season! Holiday Markets at the Brooklyn Museum (Indoor Market)December 2-3, 9-10, 11am - 5:30pm Inside the museum’s lobby, shop from 40 local vendors and makers who will sell handmade goods like handcrafted jewelry, contemporary and upcycled fashion, ceramics, boutique wellness and apothecary, homewares, pet treats and accessories, to packaged foods, artisanal distillers, and more. Carolers will be on-site! Old Stone House Holiday Bazaar (Outdoor Market)December 9, 10am - 4pm Located along the cul de sac at 4th Street and Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, next to the Old Stone House in Washington Park, the Old Stone House Holiday Artisans Bazaar hosts over 40 local artisans, makers, and small businesses. Mulled wine and cider will be on hand. The new Holiday Artisans Market at the Museum of the City of New York (Indoor Market)December 16-17, 10am - 5pm This new holiday market will take over the lobby inside the Museum of the City of New York with local maker-vendors with handmade jewelry, fashion, homewares, accessories, and gifts, emphasizing artisans based in Harlem and Upper Manhattan. 

Bed Stuy is busy with holiday shopping this year as Black Girl Magic Street returns with three separate markets to hit up. Starting November 24 and 25, the Black Friday Night Market (5-10pm) and Small Biz Saturday Marketplace (noon-6pm) will take over Tompkins Avenue (AKA Black Girl Magic Street) with local vendors and organizations for a one-stop-shop experience. Then the Annual Winter Artisan Market, taking place on Tompkins Avenue December 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 and 23-24, will be on with a curated line-up of Black-owned brands, live music, art, DJ sets, workshops, gift-wrapping, festive photo ops and much more. It’ll transform Tompkins Ave. into a festive, indoor/outdoor “winter village.”   

When you’re finished rushing the stores on Black Friday, head over for a relaxing evening full of games and fun at Time Out Market New York. Drink specials will be going all day—$5 Beers from Six Point Brewery; $8 Brooklyn Pumpkin Spiced Beer; $8 Truly Spritzers and $15 Specialty Cocktails courtesy of Sagamore Rye. (Plus, free merch from Sagamore Rye and Six Point). And don’t miss the chance to win prizes (such as a $200 Time Out Market card, board games and other stocking stuffers) through the night while dancing to jams from DJ Stretch. See you there!  

The Urbanspace Union Square Holiday Market, the alfresco, European-style winter market with more than 160 local and national vendors, returns November 16 (11am to 7 or 8pm). New this year, look out for Three Bluebirds Swedish Dishcloths, a family-owned and operated local business producing authentic Swedish dishcloths, designed and printed in Connecticut; Raw Spirit, a female-led, socially conscious fragrance brand born from global travels to places like the Australian outback and Haitian mountains, dedicated to sustainably sourcing unique ingredients from Indigenous and marginalized communities; and K2 Pearls, a unique and highly sought-after gemstone known for their striking blue and white marbled patterns, resembling the majestic peaks of the K2 mountain.

Learn hands-on how to make your own egg roll with The Rogue Panda, one of Time Out New York’s newest vendors. Every other Monday, the chefs at The Rogue Panda will lead visitors through the process of making an egg roll.  Tickets are $20 and you get a free Truly Vodka Soda during the experience.

Join us at the market for a day of drink specials—something to be grateful for! All day, enjoy $5 beer, $8 Brooklyn Pumpkin Spiced Beer, $8 Truly Spritzers and $12 specialty cocktails courtesy of Sagamore Rye. Those who swing by can pick up some sweet swag from Sagamore Rye, Six Point, and Brooklyn Brewery. DJ Checko will be providing tunes from 5 to 7pm and then DJ Liondub with host Lady M will take over from 7 to 10pm. Don’t forget to enter our raffle for a chance to win $200 Time Out Market cards, entry to the Empire Stores Winter Wonderland (usually $35) or a night for two to the One Hotel (a $600 value).  

Author Grace Cayre Chehebar will read from her latest book The Original Pineapple Man at Time Out Market. The children’s book takes place on the sunny beaches of Barbados, where the Original Pineapple Man (a real person) sells his pineapples. The reading will be followed with photo ops and goodie bags. Separately, the book will be available for purchase for $26.

Learn basic watercolor techniques and complete a beautiful watercolor painting inside Time Out Market New York. Private Picassos will be there to demonstrate basic watercolor techniques to create a winter landscape, followed by ample time for students to experiment on their own.  Tickets are $60, which includes all art supplies and a free drink. Additional glasses and bottles of wine are available at a reduced rate for all workshop attendees. The next class is on November 15 at 7pm.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is bringing back its gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular to its grounds from November 17, 2023–January 1, 2024. Lightscape, an illuminated trail of art from local and international artists, features the iconic Winter Cathedral and a larger Fire Garden—all set to over a million lights, color and music. This year, it has been reimagined with a longer trail and new immersive experiences along the way, including “Supernova,” a 24-foot-high illuminated Moravian star, a sparkling new Chandelier Walk and a giant red poppy blossoms of Floraison that hover above the trail.    As always, a curated playlist of music brings the light art to life, but this year, BBG is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with “Kaleido Circle,” an illuminated area in Oak Circle that will play a mix of hip-hop songs by influential Brooklyn musicians, curated by Queens-based artist Sherwin Banfield. Of course, there will be food concessions along the trail that will still offer seasonal treats like hot cocoa, hot cider, and mulled wine as well as light bites, cookies and sweets. Tickets are now on sale for the event. This year’s show offers off-peak and peak pricing: Regular admission tickets are $39 peak/$34 off-peak for adults and $19 peak/$17 off-peak for children ages 3–12. BBG member tickets are $29 peak/$24 off-peak for adults and $14 peak/$12 off-peak for children ages 3–12. Children 2 and under enter for free.

For the first time since 2020, the New York Transit Museum is back with its beloved Holiday Train Show! The exhibit features Lionel model trains traveling along a 34-foot-long, two-level, “O” gauge model train layout that winds its way through some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including a mini Grand Central.  It’s a fun display to show your kids or a sweet way to pass your time at Grand Central before you catch your train since it’s located at the New York Transit Museum Gallery & Store in Grand Central Terminal, Shuttle Passage. Tickets are $5 per person and must be purchased in advance. Tickets become available three weeks in advance of a given date, on a rolling basis. All aboard!

Sarah Jessica Parker is the consummate New York City resident—aside from her decades-long role as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City and And Just Like That—she’s a longtime West Village local with a pulse on the stylish, the sensational and the essential. She’s not only a performer, she’s a business owner here in the Big Apple and abroad. Her shoe shop, SJP, is located on Bleecker Street (and is offering free cosmos this week), after all. So she knows a thing or two about what makes a good NYC spot. This month, she partnered up with Apple Maps to create a guide to her favorite West Village spots for holiday shopping, from perfume to clothes sellers, under Apple’s “Hyperlocal” project. SJP’s picks aren’t the obvious ones because she believes “going off the beaten track is the best way to explore NYC” — and we agree! RECOMMENDED: Candace Bushnell talks 'Sex and the City,' a changing NYC and her favorite local spots 1. Yamadaya 450 Sixth Avenue at West 10th Street “You think you don’t need anything in here, but bring your recycled grocery bags. I’ve never left empty-handed. Be sure to check the prepared foods section, as well as the fresh packaged items. And don’t miss the ‘chip’ aisle. They also have crazy amazing things for your kitchen!” 2. Three Lives & Company 154 West 10th Street at Waverly Place "What can I say? You'll go in there for one thing but leave with your hands full. Make sure you ask any of the people working there for their recommendations. It's not just

A grim, usually off-limits part of New York City is opening to the public. The mysterious Hart Island, which has served as a potter’s field since 1869 and has been largely closed off except to workers and family members, will now open for tours on a regular basis. RECOMMENDED: Discover sinister secrets of the Seaport on this true crime-inspired walking tour Starting this week on November 21, NYC Parks’ Urban Park Rangers will lead free tours on select Tuesday mornings of certain portions of the island to educate people about its critical role in the city and to destigmatize its past, the Parks Department says. To the east of City Island, Bronx, Hart Island is just 1 mile long and has a dark history. Its first use in the U.S. was as a training ground for the U.S. Colored Troops in 1864. Since then, it has been used as a Union Civil War prison camp, a psychiatric institution, a tuberculosis sanatorium, a potter’s field, a homeless shelter, a boys’ reformatory, a jail, and a drug rehabilitation center. As of now, it is still used as a cemetery—the largest public cemetery in the nation—where more than 1 million bodies are buried, including Civil War soldiers, and those who have died from AIDS-related illness and COVID-19. They are typically people who were not claimed by their families or did not have private funerals; the homeless and the indigent; and from mass burials due to disease. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out New York (@timeoutnewyork)

Despite its hectic and buzzy nature, New York City does have its peaceful spots. Casago, a vacation rental property management company servicing homeowners and guests in Mexico and the U.S., actually did a study to find the most peaceful tourist spots across the U.S., and found that Roosevelt Island is New York City’s top spot to find some zen. RECOMMENDED: Bryant Park is named the best Christmas market in the world If you don’t know, Roosevelt Island is actually considered a neighborhood of Manhattan although it is in the middle of the East River and has a very different vibe. The quiet island, which used to be called Blackwell’s Island and served as home to hospitals, an almshouse and an insane asylum during the 19th and 20th centuries, is now home to residential high rises, a smattering of restaurants and shops, and more recently, Cornell Tech’s new campus. It feels more suburban than any other Manhattan neighborhood and has a gorgeous view of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines, best seen from its esplanade and the Panorama Room on the top of the new Graduate Roosevelt Island hotel. It has wide-open spaces to picnic and chill, too, from the school campus to the FDR Four Freedoms Park. Other spots around NYC were called out for being peaceful, too: Green-Wood Cemetery, Strawberry Fields (the John Lennon Memorial), World Trade Center’s Liberty Park, The Met Cloisters, St. Joseph’s Chapel Catholic Memorial at Ground Zero, Trinity Church, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and St.

With Thanksgiving approaching, New Yorkers are considering what they’re most thankful for. Despite our high rents, at times dysfunctional transportation system and perennial garbage on the street, we live in the best city in the world, after all.  Ahead of the holiday, we asked our readers what they’re most thankful for living here in NYC. Below are your answers! RECOMMENDED: A guide to Thanksgiving in NYC 1. The bagels There’s no doubt NYC has the best bagels and anyone who says otherwise is delusional. There is nothing better than biting into a cloud of sour cream surrounded by a sturdy but soft pillow of bread adorned with your favorite toppings—we'll always be partial to lox. If you’re salivating now, here’s a list of the best bagels in town and an interactive map ranking some top local choices as well.  2. We’re never bored Unlike other places in the U.S., there is never a lack of things to do here. If you’re bored, you’re doing it wrong. From trivia nights at your local bar to an endless list of shows on Broadway and Off, there’s so much to do most of us have a serious case of FOMO. As Facebook user Nancy Resnick Hendrickson simply put it: "[There's] always something to do." 3. There’s public transit to almost anywhere We don’t need to worry about parking, car insurance or any of the annoyances of owning a vehicle. Sure, NYC Transit has its issues now and again, but it’s what keeps the city running. "Anywhere in the 5 boroughs for less than 3 bucks," tweeted @TheDukeJ

Let the holidays begin! The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has arrived in NYC. On Saturday, the 80-foot-tall Norway Spruce was trucked in from Vestal, New York—over three hours away—and erected in the plaza.  RECOMMENDED: Best Christmas things to do in NYC for a magical time this holiday season Photograph: Diane Bondareff, AP Images for Tishman Speyer Once standing tall, crews covered the tree with scaffolding so they could begin to decorate it with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights (5 miles worth!) and a 900-pound Swarovski star. Learn more about this year’s tree with these 10 cool facts! The lighting will take place on the night of Wednesday, November 29. Photograph: Diane Bondareff, AP Images for Tishman Speyer Photograph: Shaye Weaver/Time Out New York  

We finally have proof that New York City does Christmas the best of any city in the world! The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park has been named the best Christmas market in the world for 2023 in a study from Planet Cruise, unveiling the top must-visit Christmas Markets from across the world. It’s the second year Bryant Park has been the top market. It beat out European Christmas markets, which is a huge deal in our minds since they tend to be pretty epic. RECOMMENDED: A guide to The Bryant Park Winter Village Table: courtesy of Planet Cruise Planet Cruise based its findings on six factors: the number of stalls; open dates; TripAdvisor ratings; TripAdvisor reviews; Google search volume; and Instagram hashtag data. The site found that Bryant Park’s market had 23,854 TripAdvisor reviews and highlights that it is open for 68 days—the most of any holiday market in the world. What else makes it so great? “The park features a free-admission 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink against the stunning backdrop of skyscrapers and manicured gardens,” Planet Cruise says.”With 180 stalls in the village from a wide range of vendors, it’s no surprise that visitors can find a variety of artisanal items and seasonal hot food options, such as chocolate s’mores, to feast on.” Open now through March 3, 2024, the winter village is always buzzing with activity. Until January 2, there will be a Small Business Spotlight highlighting four New York City-based minority-owned small businesse

The Bank of American Winter Village at Bryant Park was just ranked as the best Christmas market in the world, but in the U.S., it seems that Union Square Holiday Market is tops. According to a new study by Yelp, the Union Square Holiday Market is the best in America. RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas markets in NYC It beat out markets like Christkindlmarket Chicago, the Downtown Holiday Market in Washington, D.C., the Carmel Christkindlmarkt in Indiana and the Cambria Christmas Market in California. How did it get such an honorific? Photograph: Laura Fontaine Yelp said it looked at businesses in the arts and entertainment and shopping categories on Yelp, with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “holiday market,” and “Christmas market,” then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning “holiday market, ” and “Christmas market.” All businesses were marked open on Yelp as of November 2023 and had a passing health score. Chelsea Market also made the Yelp list at no. 16.  When we consider the Union Square Holiday Market, we agree it is one of the best. It typically draws 2 million visitors each year with its more than 100 vendors hawking good food, beautiful crafts and gifts that make it the best one-stop-shop for the holidays. Perhaps Lisa H. on Yelp describes it best.  “Founded in 1980, the Union Square Holiday Market is a definite must for me in December. I killed it with the gifts I got there earlier this m

When I think of an elephant, the adorable Dumbo or Horton Hears a Who—usually fictional representations—come to mind first. These characters have colored our collective understanding of the massive mammal for decades because, for most people, they’re the only “elephant” they’ll ever see up close. Actual elephants in Western culture are usually restricted to zoos, but during the ice ages—between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago—more than 50 different elephant relatives (mammoths and mastodon) roamed the entire globe. Now? Only three species remain. RECOMMENDED: A stunning origami holiday tree is coming to the American Museum of Natural History Opening Monday, November 13, at the American Museum of Natural History, “The Secret World of Elephants” showcases impressive recreations of our modern-day elephants, a wooly mammoth and even dwarf elephants the size of a dog, surrounded by interactive displays about their incredible minds and bodies, their interactions with humans and the environment and what needs to be done to ensure their survival. Photograph: Alvaro Keding, courtesy of American Museum of Natural History | A woolly mammoth, depicted in the process of shedding its winter coat. Walking into the new exhibit, a giant wooly mammoth greeted me as it “shed” its winter coat. Its massive tusks were phenomenal to behold and diagonal to that, a life-size African elephant lit up with projections displaying its insides. I touched a panel to feel the low sound waves elephants use

The Met Gala, set for May 6, 2024, will be themed after the forthcoming Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The Costume Institute Benefit, aka The Met Gala, is one of the most iconic events to happen in the city, bringing celebrities and big names (from a carefully curated guest list) to the red carpet in imaginative and fashion-forward outfits. Really, it’s a benefit that provides the Met’s Costume Institute with its primary source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, operations, and capital improvements. RECOMMENDED: This empowering new art show in NYC features nearly 100 women artists “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” which is on at The Met from May 10 - September 2, 2024, will showcase 250 garments and accessories from four centuries that will be surrounded by natural iconography through the use of cutting-edge tools, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and computer-generated imagery to traditional formats of x-rays, video animation, light projection, and soundscapes.  The Met says it will “serve as a metaphor for the fragility and ephemerality of fashion and a vehicle to examine the cyclical themes of rebirth and renewal.” We imagine gala-goers will show up in designs inspired by nature and rebirth. Upon entering the exhibition, you’ll see a sequence of self-contained galleries that each explore a theme inspired by the natural world. In these spaces, you’ll see historical fashions next to their

It may not come as a shock, but NYC has made history by claiming eight of the U.S.’s most expensive zip codes within three of its boroughs. In a new Property Shark analysis, NYC returned as the city with the highest number of expensive zips. Previously, NYC has tied with Los Angeles, but 2023 marked the first time since 2016 that NYC “stood alone as the epicenter of expensive zip codes,” the study says. RECOMMENDED: You can now book a stay at Martha Stewart’s home for Thanksgiving Looking at the median sale prices based on closed home sales (not asking prices), it appears that Battery Park City claims the priciest zip code in NYC with 10282 at a median sale price of $3.4 million. We looked up an apartment at $3.4 million in Battery Park City and found this four-bedroom, three-bath condo on Warren Street. It’s as roomy and sleek as you might imagine. Usually, Tribeca’s zips (10013 and 10007) are in the top 10 most expensive zip codes, but it has yet to return to its pre-pandemic positions, ranking only at no. 24 and no. 27, respectively, hovering around $3 million, Property Shark says. That being said, these zip codes are the no. 2 and 3 most expensive within NYC, Brooklyn’s Red Hook (11231) is back on the list since it first debuted there in 2019, but it’s at no. 98 nationally with a $1.84 million median sale price. Queens has made its first appearance on the list this time—Hunters Point (11109) just claimed no. 72 at $2.1 million. Another moment of history was Manhattan’s 10

The “Queen of Thanksgiving,” Martha Stewart, is opening her home for a once-in-a-lifetime experience ahead of the big holiday. Through Booking.com, you can book Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving-Inspired Farm Stay, which will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, which means you need to be first in line when the booking opens on November 16 at noon EST. RECOMMENDED: The 21 coziest Airbnb cabins near NYC for the perfect city escape Stewart’s beautiful, 10,764-square-foot home sits on 150 acres of “perfectly manicured” grounds in Bedford, New York—a little over an hour’s drive from midtown Manhattan.  Photograph: courtesy of Booking.com Photograph: courtesy of Booking.com The stay includes room for two people 21 and older, who will stay in two bedrooms, with two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and an outdoor terrace and garden, among other amenities at the property’s Tenant House. Lucky bookers will get a guided tour of the property by Martha’s Head Gardener Ryan McCallister, which includes a stop at Stewart’s “Insta-famous” chicken coop, gardens and stables; a table setting and wreath-making demo with Executive Director of Design, Kevin Sharkey; an actual brunch with Martha herself, prepared by James Beard Award-Winning Chef Thomas Joseph; and signed copies of Stewart’s prized cookbooks and other treats “to ensure guests are Thanksgiving-ready.” Photograph: courtesy of Booking.com Some interesting tidbits can be found in the small print: Guests are subject to security

The NYC Marathon, where 50,000 runners push their limits to complete a 26.2-mile race across the boroughs, is always an uplifting event and it’s a spectacle to behold (and be a part of). Aside from the sheer number of participants, the getups the runners sometimes wear and the challenge they’re all pushing through, one of the best parts of the whole marathon is seeing the signs supporters show up with. We’ve rounded up 13 hilarious signs we enjoyed on Sunday for your perusal: RECOMMENDED: The best NYC events in November 2023  View this post on Instagram A post shared by MONSTER MOVIE (@monstermoviecomics)   Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York View this post on Instagram A post shared by WhatIsNewYork (@whatisnewyork) Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lewes “Louie” Moo 🐶🐾 (@louiemoo)   Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miguel Angel Vazquez Jr. (@miguel73_bkny) Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York View this post on Instagram A post shared by WhatIsNewYork (@whatisnewyork) Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York Photograph: Lila Barth for Time Out New York