DOWNTOWN
Cool kids can explore indoor and outdoor public art, shopping, pop-ups and lots of inventive food below 14th street.
See our neighborhood map to plan, but leave time for fun discoveries in these funky streets.
Also see what's happening in the rest of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and beyond NYC plus guides to museums, pop-ups, free public art and outdoor adventures.
We'll keep updating as more places open; sign up for our email list and follow our insta for the latest.
TO DO
DeSalvio Playground
Spring Sreet &Mulberry StreetThis recently upgraded park has cool design, a big includes a big jungle gym with monkey bars atop rubber matting, lots of shaded seating area, a basketball court (with two hoops), checker board tables and sprinklers.
East Village/LES/Noho Street Art
Orchard Street between Delancey and E. Houston Lower ManhattanLook for lots of cool murals around this hip neighborhood, on walls, sliding metal gates and on the sidewalk. Current favorite include a I ❤️ NY mural at The Jones NYC (Great Jones Street & Bowery), a swing you can sit on among tulips at Bloomeffects (Bowery & Bleecker), a double-vision Mickey Mouse (Houston…
Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit New York
299 South StreetStep inside of Van Gogh painting projected onto the walls, floors and ceilings.
* Wander through three consecutive rooms that display the same moving images of famous works that highlight brushstrokes, detail, and color, illuminating the mind of the genius, accompanied by experimental electronic music. Explore more than 300,000 cubic feet of animated projections, tiered…
Feast of San Gennaro
Mulberry Street between Houston and Canal Lower ManhattanCelebrate Italian-American culture at the 95th annual Feast of San Gennaro. Watch colorful parades, hear live music, try carnival style rides, cheer at meatball and cannoli eating contests and sample molto gustoso food including fried dough, torrone (a honey nougat candy usually flecked with almonds) and sausage-and-pepper sandwiches.
Puppets of New York: Downtown at The Clemente
107 Suffolk StreetSee the work of twelve important “downtown” artists who are committed to exploring the theatrical possibilities of puppet theater
Presented in conjunction with Puppets of New York, a major puppetry exhibition at MCNY, and the International Puppet Fringe Festival.
Matthew Stone: A Portrait of The Artist in the Metaverse
312 BoweryColorful paintings of figures on linen are complemented by giant LED screens “playing” the same figures and draped fabrics in fluid motion and thirty portraits are available as linens paired with free NFTs (or NFTs paired with free linens) in the exhibit featuring pioneering work with digital technology by Matthew Stone.
Also say…
Arcadia Earth
718 Broadway at West 6th StreetExplore a large scale, multi-sensorial journey through underwater worlds, fantasy lands, and inspirational art installations. Powered by augmented reality, virtual reality, projection mapping, and interactive environments, learn how small lifestyle changes can have a massive impact on the future of our planet.
For every ticket sold, Arcadia Earth will plant one tree and donate to…
TO EAT
Joe’s Pizza
7 Carmine StreetGet a classic NY slice to go at this Greenwich Village institution (established in 1975 ), still owned and operated by 75-year-old Neapolitan native Joe Pozzuoli.
Sebastian Brecht’s Obsessive Chocolate Disorder
63 East 4th StreetTry unique, small batch, handmade chocolates and pastries, made fresh every week in a small, quirky East Village shop with rotating art on the wall. The constantly evolving menu featuring unusual and delicious combinations of flavors and textures with fun names like bob’s dark passion, the pucker and looky cookie snookie was created by the…
Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring Street between Sullivan & ThompsonFrench bakery Dominique Ansel has delicious classic and post-modern pastries and specular seasonal desserts like hot chocolate with a blossoming marshmallow flower, frozen s’mores and milk in a chocolate chip cookie cup.
If you see a line down the block it’s probably for a cronut, the rightly famous croissant-doughnut hybrid pastry with flavors that change…
Shopsin’s
88 Essex StThis whimsical, family-owned restaurant features a legendary 900-item menu with dozens of wacky (and delicious) pancakes varieties filled with s’mores or mac n’cheese. Small seating area; expect waits on weekends (but lots to explore in the indoor Essex Market while you wait).
Stick With Me Sweets Bonbons
202A Mott St Soho/Tribeca/LESGorgeous bonbons in an array of colors and artisanal flavors taste as good as they look in this small Nolita chocolate shop.
Taiyaki
119 Baxter StreetUnicorn lovers can get their sweet fix with edible horns & ears in artisanal soft serve served in fish-shaped Japanese waffle cones. Smoothies in a mini unicorn pool float and seasonal creations like Christmas Tree and Easter Bunny cones also available.
SEAPORT/FIDI
Eataly NYC Downtown
The downtown outpost of Italian marketplace Eataly is focused on bread, but you can also find delizioso pizza, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, pasta, rotisserie chicken, chocolate, gelato and weekend kids cooking classes.
Imagination Playground
This magical interactive, transformable playground lets kids create their own play space with sand, water, giant foam blocks, mats, wagons, fabric, and crates at their fingertips. Great view of the East River. Near lots of cool public art. Bathrooms available.
Le District
Mangez on freshly made croissants, crepes, frites and more delicious treats in a French shopping district within happening Brookfield Place. Take your treat to the terrace for a view of the French-in-origin Lady Liberty.
Ziggy
Lounge and climb on rainbow colored inventive seating options on vibrantly colored painted rebar and 27,000 feet of iridescent cord by Hou De Sousa.
Peace, Love & Happiness
Cheerful sculptures by Scott Gerber, artist and founder of Tube Dude have been moved to the edge of the East River, framing dramatic views. Climb inside a giant Heart, Peace Sign and Smiley Face.
The Statue of Liberty
Take a ferry to Liberty Island, home of the iconic statue. After a lovely 15-minute boat ride with amazing views and no crowds. Walk among paved, stroller-friendly paths and relax in shady grassy areas.
At the Statue of Liberty Museum, explore the story of the Statue’s creation, her history, and her evolving meaning to people…
Experience The Times of Bill Cunningham
Celebrate the incredible work of legendary street photographer and fashion historian Bill Cunningham in an immersive exhibit. Part of New York City’s cultural fabric, Cunningham photographed both everyday people and famed personalities like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Anna Wintour, and Andy Warhol on the streets of Manhattan, as well as at fashion shows and society events,…
Governors Island
Oasis-with-a-view Governors Island opens for the season. Lots of room to roam and play on this 172 acre former military post.
* Relax in Hammock Grove’s cozy hammocks (and say hello to sheep, new this year), find breathtaking 360-degree views in The Hills, get moving on the Play Lawns, and camp out in an Adirondack…
Seaglass Carousel
Spin under the sea in an aquatic carousel in historic Battery Park. Sit within iridescent fiberglass fish that glide through a (covered) spiraling nautilus of glass and steel. LED color-changing lighting combined with “water effect” light projectors and oceanic music create a magical underwater atmosphere for kids of all ages.
Capacity reduced to 33%; not…
Sand Celebration at The Bungalow
Admire the tallest sand castle in New York City created by world-renowned, professional sand sculptor Matt Long (though August 14). Pick up paper and crayons at the BFPL concierge to draw the sandcastle.
Through September 26, enjoy light bites, specialty cocktails, and bocce ball from a waterfront retreat outside Brookfield Place. Lounge chairs and vintage…
SuperReal
Play with giant balloons in an immersive multimedia art experience set in the grand neo-Renaissance Cunard building. Dream-like 360-degree video, lights and music evoke clouds, thunderstorms, gardens, tropical discotheques, the 1920s and so much more. The sequence loops every 45-minutes; we could have stayed there all day (lounge on giant bean bags scattered throughout the…
One World Observatory
Elevators climb 102 stories in 47 seconds to the 102nd floor of the Freedom Tower, the tallest building in America at a symbolic 1,776 feet. Incredible views plus lots of interactive and digital features including immersive audiovisual experiences, a 14-foot wide circular glass disc with high definition footage of the streets 100 floors below and…