As winter finally comes to a close, and this snowmaggedon of a February comes to an end, it’s time to brave the outdoors again. We hope to stuff our down puffer coats into the back of the closet, and ensure they don’t make another appearance. But before we’re ready to pack our beach bags and transition to summer time, there are a few New York cultural activities that fit this wonderful transitional season.
For a full day activity on a budget…
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The largest art museum in the United States, the Met (as it is more colloquially called) is located on the Upper East Side on Fifth Avenue. It is home to a diversified collection from the Ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur, to the art of the Impressionists, to full suits of armour from the Crusades. Admission is recommended, but pay what you wish. If you want to have a broad, unique experience, download a scavenger hunt app on your phone and travel the fantastic collection deciphering clues and taking pictures with statues and paintings.
For a fun and cozy movie night…
Loews 84th Street Movie Theater
While most Stern students may be content with the Kips Bay Multiplex on Second Avenue, this theater offers a unique viewing experience. Instead of showing up early to a theater praying for a good seat, you can book your seats online and the chairs are coach recliners. Get excited for a night of adjusting your seat up and down and lying down on a coach as if you’re within the comfort of your own home. You can even bring your own blanket. Plus the popcorn is kosher!
For a new reading experience…
Strand Books
As Shakespeare and Co. closes, there are few stalwart bookstores that remain. Strand, a cultural institution, offers a combination of new books for slightly reduced prices and cheap books outside for $1-$5 dollars that range from new to heavily used. The browsing experience may leave you a little disoriented but you’re bound to leave with something exciting and unusual. Make sure to check out their tables of autographed books and banned books, and if you spend forty dollars, you can get a complimentary tote bag.
For a cultural curiosity…
The Guggenheim Museum
At first glance, the famous white, round structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright seems to beckon. The inside lives up to the initial awe. The modern art collection is beautifully curated and the spiral interior is breathtaking. Additionally, one pastime I often find enjoyable is looking at the modern sculptures and trying to guess what they are trying to represent. Though you may be more often wrong than right, you will certainly come out feeling more knowledgeable with some highbrow street cred.
For an outdoor experience…
The Trump Rink at Central Park
Though it’s cold and one often doesn’t want to embrace the frost, Central Park’s Trump Rink is a treasure. Larger than the convenient Bryant Park, which has also already closed for the season, Trump Rink at Central Park boasts the beauty of Central Park as a backdrop and enough space to learn how to triple axel. On a sunny day, you can enjoy the crisp air and be warmed by the brisk exercise, or by the hot chocolate that they sell inside. Either way, you are in for a good workout, or a chance to show off your new hat and gloves. But quick, it’s closing on April 5th so try to get your skate in while you still can.