Best Things To Do In New York City This Weekend
Here's a recipe for a perfect weekend: see some art and have a delicious -- and cheap -- dinner on Friday night, water-slide down Park Avenue on Saturday morning, and attend a concert in the sun on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, learn kung fu. Read on for details. By Jessica Allen.
NYC Restaurant Week is back! Three full weeks of great, great meals for low, low prices: $25 for lunch and $38 for dinner, to be exact. Participating restaurants include A Voce Madison, Bann, Beauty & Essex, Brasserie, Catch NYC, Craftbar, The Dutch, Fung Tu, and many, many others. You get three courses, great ambiance, excellent service, and a chance to check out a new place. Monday, July 20, through Friday, Aug. 14, prices vary, reservations recommended.
Calling all hipsters! The sixth annual Wes Anderson art show is called "Bad Dads," and features sculpture, print, and paintings that reflect and honor the films of the popular director. It's your chance to see Royal in lights or the Punctuality pin in clay. Participating artists include Tracie Ching, Micah LeBrun, and 100% Soft. Apparently Anderson is a fan of the annual event, and has even used some of the participating artists in his movies. Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 9, free.
Inspired by car-free, pedestrian-only events in Bogotá and Paris, New York City began Summer Streets a few years ago. This Saturday, and again on August 15, you can stroll, bike, amble, and/or run without a care for street lights or vehicle traffic for roughly seven miles along Park Avenue. You can see street art, learn soccer, take a fitness class, hang out with some dogs, and meet Ben Franklin. New this year? A 270-foot waterslide (register online)!!! Saturday, Aug. 8, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.
Also known as the Duanwu or Double Fifth Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival has a long and complex history and purpose. Learn more by attending the annual celebration in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. Of course, the big draw are the dragon boat races, but you'll also be able to hear live music, see martial arts demonstrations from Shaolin Masters and students, and attend circus and comedic performances. Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, free.
Strangely enough, the Brooklyn Music Festival is taking place on Governors Island, not Brooklyn. Nevertheless, the goal of the first festival is to celebrate the music of Brooklyn. Scheduled acts are as diverse as the borough itself, ranging from hip hop to country to funk to alt rock to disco to pop, including The Upperclass Men, Dreams of June, and Black Satellite. Must be 18 or older. Saturday, Aug. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free with RSVP, but donations will be collected for the Coalition for the Homeless.
