Things to do in NYC – Summer 2022
There is no place like New York City but it really comes alive in summer. We compiled a list of our favorite things – some obvious, some under the radar. And as always, be sure to take one of our immersive walking, food tours for the best way to experience NYC – on foot, with a local, through food! Use code NYCEATS20 for 20% off any of our public food tours.
NYC Pride Parade | Sunday, June 26
The NYC Pride March will begin at noon on June 26th from 25th Street and 5th Avenue. Marchers will proceed south on 5th Avenue before heading west on 8th Street. After crossing over 6th Avenue, the March will continue on Christopher Street passing the Stonewall National Monument. It will then turn north on 7th Avenue, passing the New York City AIDS Memorial, before dispersing in Chelsea at 16th Street and 7th Avenue. The first March was held in 1970 and has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years, its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the fight against AIDS and to remember those we have lost to illness, violence and neglect.
FOOD & CRAFT MARKETS: see our recent blog article for the best markets in NYC and the boroughs. Queens Night Market, Artists and Fleas, and much much more.
IT’S ROOFTOP SEASON
A.R.T. NoMad, 11 East 31st Street, (212)-951-1141, Reservations
Take in panoramic views of NYC at the A.R.T. NoMad, including the Empire State Building. Enjoy dynamic cocktails, bites, and a lively atmosphere at this rooftop part of the Arlo NoMad hotel.
Broken Shaker, 23 Lexington Avenue, (212)-475-1920, Reservations
A tropical rooftop oasis, Broken Shaker sits atop the Freehand Hotel and offers great views of the city, handcrafted cocktails, and small plates.
Glass Ceiling NoMad, 1204 Broadway, (646)-590-3724, Reservations
Featuring a retractable glass ceiling atop the skyline, Glass Ceiling NoMad is a fashionable rooftop lounge offering cocktails, appetizers, and brunch on weekends.
Good Behavior, 44 West 29th Street, 18th Floor, (212)-213-4429
Good Behavior sits above the MADE Hotel featuring a rooftop escape with city views and creative cocktails.
Royalton Park Avenue Rooftop, 420 Park Avenue South, (212)-602-3202, Reservations
The stylish bar atop the Royalton Park Avenue Hotel offers panoramic views with seating on the terrace or the indoor lounge, cocktails, and bites.
The Sentry Flatiron, 37 West 24th Street, 18th Floor, (646)-726-4277, Reservations
The chic rooftop oasis on the 18th floor of Hotel Henri offers a lounge with speakeasy vibes, perfect for enjoying craft cocktails and small plates.
SERRA by Birreria, 200 Fifth Avenue, (212)-937-8910, Reservations
Set above Eataly, the rooftop SERRA by Birreria rotates its menu and decor by season. Enjoy vibrant spring dishes and cocktails in a unique, rustic setting.
SUTRA, 164 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor, (347)-462-0955, Reservations
SUTRA is located on the rooftop of Alo Yoga‘s Flagship store and features plant-based cuisine and drinks from Chef Matthew Kenney.
230 FIFTH, 230 Fifth Avenue, (212)-725-4300, Reservations
The penthouse bar and restaurant offers a rooftop garden featuring a lounge atmosphere. Enjoy specialty cocktails and entrees as you take in sweeping views of Manhattan.
STILL A CLASSIC: THE HIGH LINE
NEW & NOTABLE:
TWO NEW ROLLER SKATING RINKS. NYC has finally decided to turn the two most famous ice skating rinks into roller skating rinks for summer!
DiscOasis at Wollman Rink in Central Park: Bops, blooms, and more are waiting for you at The DiscOasis! Skate in the sunshine or disco after dark! With special events (see Drag Queen superstar Violet Chachki June 24) and music by the legendary Nile Rodgers. “Get your daytime groove on in a glittering paradise. Bring your family and friends to roller skate, explore environmental designs, and pose for photos with art installations. When the lights go down, The DiscOasis comes to life! Discover vibrant day-glo art installations, hit the rink or groove on the dance floor under dazzling lights! Listen to guest DJs and enjoy live musical performances by our roller-skating entertainers.” Get your tickets in advance on the website.
Flipper’s Roller Rink in Rockefeller Center! Skate at Flipper’s, the legendary roller rink from 1979 returns! From April through October 2022 Flipper’s will transform the iconic rink at Rockefeller Center in to a roller rink. Roller skate all summer long in NYC at Flipper’s.
ART
Banksy – building castles in the sky. This exhibition is an imposing event that brings together more than 100 original works and objects by the British artist known as Banksy, in a collection that gives an account of his entire production: twenty years of activity that begin with the paintings of the very first phase of his career, up to last year’s results with the works from Dismaland. Banksy’s imagery is simple but not elementary, with messages that examine the themes of capitalism, war, social control and freedom in a broad sense and within the paradoxes of our time. Opened May 28 at the former International Center of Photography Museum: 250 Bowery, New York.
Whitney Biennale. The Biennial is back. April 6 – Sept 5, 2022. The Whitney Biennial has surveyed the landscape of American art, reflecting and shaping the cultural conversation, since 1932. The eightieth edition of the landmark exhibition is co-curated by David Breslin and Adrienne Edwards. Titled Quiet as It’s Kept, the 2022 Biennial features an intergenerational and interdisciplinary group of sixty-three artists and collectives whose dynamic works reflect the challenges, complexities, and possibilities of the American experience today.
The Frick Madison is now at 945 Madison Avenue—the former home of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Met Breuer—while Henry Clay Frick’s mansion undergoes a massive renovation. This new stint will last two years, and while the Brutalist building by Marcel Breuer is a huge departure from the Gilded Age mansion, the space is offering a much different and rare look at the collection, according to museum officials. Unlike at the Frick Mansion, the Breuer building is a clean slate—stark in contrast, which actually helps to attract the viewer’s attention to individual works. Eyes aren’t busy looking at ornate furniture here. It’s all about seeing the smaller details in the artwork that you might have overlooked at the mansion. According to Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director Ian Wardropper, “It’s a different Frick than you’ve ever known.”
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Visit the innovative, woman-owned, Clean Market. A wellness center offering cryotherapy, infrared saunas, IV drips, and a holistic cafe and products.
Founder Lily Kunin says, “I’d been living in L.A. for the last year, and I felt like New York had such a need for a space where it can be just an oasis to take care of yourself.” Everything offered at Clean Market maps back to the seven pillars of functional medicine, which the store defines as: energy, flow, detox, brain, community, beauty, and gut health. A market set up in the front of the shop sells a mix of clean beauty and skin products and apothecary-style items, and Kunin notes that although the supplement industry is completely unregulated, all of the supplements sold at Clean Market have clinical testing behind them.
And for all you die hard ice cream fans, here’s a great list from PureWow:
THE BEST ICE CREAM IN NYC:
- Best Overall: Sugar Hill Creamery
- Largest Flavor Selection: Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream
- Best Soft Serve: Soft Swerve
- Most Unique Flavor Selection: Ample Hills Creamery
- Best Boozy Ice Cream: Tipsy Scoop
- Best Gelato: Sant Ambroeus Gelateria
- Best Sundaes: OddFellows Ice Cream Co.
- Best Popsicles: Malai Ice Cream
- Best for Pet Owners: Ollie’s Ice Cream + Stuff
- Best Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor: Eddie’s Sweet Shop
- Best Allergen-Free Ice Cream: A La Mode Shoppe
- Best Ice Cream Cakes: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
- Best Ice Cream Sandwich: Milk Bar
- Best Rotating Flavors: Egger’s Ice Cream Parlor