Critical 5 things to do in NYC: get out there, October 5-7
Just because it isn’t summer anymore doesn’t mean you should hole up in your apartment with Netflix and flannel as your only companions. Below are five great reasons to get out and explore the season, the city, and the great combo they make together.
Art in Odd Places (AiOP) works to present visual and performance art in unexpected public spaces. Every October that goal comes to fruition on 14th Street, which is transformed into an unfettered corridor for interactive, accessible art meant to catch the viewer by surprise and engage them in dialogue with their themes. This year’s theme is “model,” in the sense of wearing ideas and walking them through public space. Over 100 national and international artists alike will post up at various locations between Ave. C and Hudson River and present their resulting work, be that site-specific sculptures or skits like “Brian and Ryan Communicate in New York with Distance Talk Helmets.” Get your fill of art outside the cube, and take a walk down 14th.
The New Yorker Festival, Oct 5-7
The New Yorker Festival continues its tradition of bringing together the cream of the intelligentsia, with cultural critics of all fields ready to wax poetic about anything from television to politics all weekend long. This year’s roundtable discussions and speakers include Martin Amis, Malcolm Gladwell, Margaret Atwood, Jennifer Egan, Zadie Smith, Gary Shteyngart, Jonathan Safran Foer, Junot Díaz, Patti Smith, and many more. But despite the festival’s revolving cast of characters, certain highlights remain unchanged—such as Calvin Trillin’s “Come Hungry,” a foodie event that begins in Greenwich Village and snacks its way to Chinatown for dim-sum lunch, and Peter Schjeldahl’s “Morning at the Frick,” a tour of the museum pre-public hours, followed by coffee and conversation. Although many of the Festival events are already sold-out, ten percent of tickets for all the events will be available in person on October 5.
Apple Festival at Queens County Farm Museum, Oct 7
From 11-4pm this Sunday, experience apple overload. Test your apple IQ, taste more varieties than you knew existed, and enjoy freshly pressed cider with fellow apple-holics, some of whom will have a variety of collectibles for sale. Throughout the course of the day, the nation’s largest apple cobbler will be baked on site, plus hayrides and other games will be ongoing. And if you ever get appled out, you can always head to the Pumpkin Patch that’s open every weekend in October and pick out the perfect Jack-o-lantern-to-be.
What’s Out There Weekend NYC, Oct 6-7
In honor of Architecture Month (aka Archtober), the Cultural Landscape Foundation is hosting a two-day event meant to let New Yorkers really take in our cultural landscape—its historic spots, cemeteries, public parks, civic spaces and other such visual expressions of identity — that is too easily taken for granted. Comprised of free expert-led tours in all five boroughs, the event will lend insight and history into some of the most innovative landscapes and designs, from Wave Hill in the Bronx and the Cloisters in Manhattan, to Forest Hills Garden in Queens and Snug Harbor on Staten Island. For the full schedule, check out their website here.
Tree Tour of the High Line with Leslie Day and Trudy Smoke, Oct 6
On Saturday morning at eleven o’clock enjoy one of New York’s most beloved parks and learn to identify its beautiful trees with the help of nature pros Leslie Day and Trudy Smoke, author and illustrator of Field Guide to the Street Trees of New York City. Why not spend this crisp, fall day going for an informative stroll over the Meatpacking District, and maybe grab some High Line grub when you’re done?
