Happenings August 17
Zen at the Garden
Most days of the year, Madison Square Garden is filled with rowdy sports fans or concertgoers screaming their lungs out. But on Sunday, the world's most famous arena will be decidedly chill.
The Big Quiet is taking over MSG this weekend for their biggest mass meditation event ever, meaning you can get zen with 2,100 others in the spot where Billy Joel performs and the Knicks shoot hoops.
Everyone from beginners to longtime practitioners are invited to join in the morning meditation followed by a sound and gong bath. Also expect immersive performances including a choir, string instruments and acoustic musicians.
Don't worry -- there will also be plenty of time to snap pics to make your Instagram followers jealous.
Why would you ever pass on this perfect start to your Sunday before heading back out into the bustle of the city? Tickets are $40.
No Escaping Starbucks
If it seems like there's a Starbucks on every corner, you're not wrong. In fact, CNBC reports BMO Capital Markets downgraded the coffee mecca's stock last week due to cannibalization.
No, Starbucks stores aren't eating each other. But the chain has now opened so many shops that its locations are actually stealing customers from each other.
"There are now 3.6 Starbucks locations within a one-mile radius of the typical Starbucks in the U.S. relative to 3.3 and 3.2 stores in 2014 and 2012 respectively," said BMO analyst Andrew Strelzik.
But some food and retail experts say that doesn't mean that Starbucks will stop their domination of the city.
"There's tremendous opportunity in the outer boroughs to expand," Jason Richter, managing principal at Hudson, told AM New York. "Speaking to Manhattan, there are still millions of square feet of development underway, which you could argue means that there's still plenty of room and opportunity for Starbucks to expand in those markets."
After Hours
Need a break from happy hours? Maybe a good second date idea? Or just something to do on a chill Friday night with no other plans, perhaps?
Following the Museum of Modern Art's announcement that they were extending their Friday and Saturday evening hours for the summer season, they have decided to keep their doors open late through the end of the year. That means you can visit the MoMA until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, avoiding the busier daytime hours when tourists crowd the halls.
While you're there, check out the current exhibition on Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America's great architects, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, which will also be accessible until closing as long as weather permits.
