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Since 1991, the New York Aquarium has included sea otters in their exhibits, providing a safe haven for these animals. The Coney Island marine museum announced today that two new sea otters, named Pumpkin and Clover, will be added to their year-round “Sea Cliffs” exhibit, and you can visit these otterly adorable creatures starting today. 

After being rescued off the California coast, this pair of southern sea otters were “deemed non-releasable” at a young age before traveling between other aquariums. Southern sea otters are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. 

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Southern sea otters play a critical role in the Pacific Ocean, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the New York Aquarium. As a keystone species, southern sea otters eat sea urchins, which helps protect kelp forests from being overgrazed. It’s estimated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that 3,000 southern sea otters remain in the wild. 

“These two otters have incredible stories, and we are pleased to see how well they are settled into their new home,” Dr. Leigh Ann Clayton, the director of the New York Aquarium, said in a press release. “As part of our commitment to protecting marine wildlife, we are proud the New York Aquarium has participated in the southern sea otter rescue and rehabilitation program with other [Association of Zoos and Aquariums]-accredited aquariums.”

In addition to the “Sea Cliffs” exhibit and other longstanding aquarium exhibits, the New York Aquarium’s Halloween festival runs October 19, 20, 27 and 28. The “Ascarium” (get it?!) includes marine-themed magic shows, Halloween crafts and a pumpkin display. The Aquarium is open daily from 10am to 4:30pm.

* This article was originally published here

Despite being the birthplace of some of New York’s best-known recent exports (we’re looking at you, Ice Spice), the Bronx has also been one of the most neglected boroughs in the city’s recent history. But if the Bronx once burned, it’s now going through an astonishing revival, and the newly constructed Bronx Music Hall is a shining example of exactly that. 

A $15.4 million music hall, which is opening in Melrose today, is the first newly constructed independent music performance venue in the borough in more than 50 years.

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Located at 438 East 163rd Street, the spanking new 14,000 square-foot Bronx Music Hall hosts a 250-capacity theater, a lobby and exhibition hall, a dance studio, a recording studio, an amphitheater for outdoor performances, and more. 

All in all, the venue is expected to welcome 20,000 visitors each year and will be a place where residents can take music and dance classes, theater workshops and perform spoken word poetry, as well as check out rotating art exhibitions.

One of the main purposes of the Bronx Music Hall is to uplift local artists and foster the bustling Bronx arts scene by providing free or low cost dance and music classes to residents. On top of that, co-artistic directors Elena Martínez and Grammy nominated percussionist Bobby Sanabria will curate much of the programming, so residents can rest assured that they’re in good hands. 

But this is not just a cultural center: It’s a sort of radical project that incorporates affordable housing and the arts with a philosophy to not only provide locals with a place to live, but also a place that will enrich their day to day lives. The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation incorporated the music hall to the Bronx Commons, which has 305 below-rate apartments, per the New York Times. 

The grand opening is taking place tonight, Friday October 18 at 5:30pm, with a ribbon-cutting event, opening reception and performances by local legend Grandmaster Caz and MC Sha-Rock, the Bronx DJ collective Uptown Vinyl Supreme, and the Afro-Haitian roots music band Kongo.

If you can’t make it to tonight’s celebrations, don’t worry: The festivities will continue tomorrow, Saturday, October 19, at 6pm with the opening of the Music Hall’s first exhibit, “The Place to Be: A Decade at the BMHC,” a photo exhibit curated by Edwin Pagán and Elena Martínez. Then, at 8pm, a program called “Caribbean Sounds: New Orleans to The Bronx,” will feature the Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band and will feature guests Janis Siegel, Antoinette Montague, and Jennifer Jade Ledesna, among others.

Finally, the celebratory weekend will come to an end on Sunday, but not before a 3pm performance by “African Diaspora in The Bronx” featuring Yawuza Alhassan and the Wuza Wuza Ensemble and GrupoMaburuaña.

Visit the Bronx Music Hall’s website for more information and updates on programming. 

* This article was originally published here

We certainly don’t want to rush fall, but with how this year has been going before we know it winter is going to be at our doorstep, and whether you’ll be traveling to meet up with family for the holiday season, traveling to escape them, or traveling just for the fun of it, some destinations will certainly be more popular than others this season.

Airbnb recently released its 2024 Winter Travel Trends report, unveiling where guests will likely seek out ski slopes, sand, and shores this season, and with that they gathered together this winter’s trending destinations, both domestic and international, for U.S. guests. Here’s a look at where U.S. travelers will be flocking to this winter.

Trending 2024 Winter Domestic Destinations:

• Indianapolis, Indiana
• South Bend, Indiana
• Blacksburg, Virginia
• Oxford, Mississippi
• Auburn, Alabama
• Iowa City, Iowa
• Indio, California
• State College, Pennsylvania
• Tacoma, Washington
• Lubbock, Texas

Trending 2024 Winter International Destinations:

• Tokyo, Japan
• Osaka, Japan
• Noord, Aruba
• Kingston, Jamaica
• Vancouver, Canada
• Guatemala City, Guatemala
• Strasbourg, France
• Zermatt, Switzerland
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Niagara Region, Canada

Of course, we know skiing is often synonymous with the winter season, and this winter specific cities have emerged as some of the top skiing destinations for guests looking to hit the slopes.

Trending 2024 Skiing Destinations:

• Big Bear Lake, California, US
• Breckenridge, Colorado, US
• Whistler, Canada
• Tromsø, Norway
• Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France
• Mammoth Lakes, US
• Park City, Utah, US
• Steamboat Springs, Colorado, US
• Mont-Tremblant, Canada
• Les Belleville, France

Those that would rather swap the snow for warm sand and beautiful beaches, however (*raises hand*), should consider booking a plane ticket to one (or all) of the following places to recreate those glorious summer memories:

Trending 2024 Beach Destinations:

• Florianopolis, Brazil
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Ubatuba, Brazil
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Gold Coast, Australia
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Sydney, Australia
• Pattaya, Thailand
• Praia Grande, Brazil

And when it comes to actually booking your plane tickets, be sure to check out our guide on how to find cheap flights to travel on a budget, or take a look at Google Flights’ new tool that unlocks the cheapest airfare yet.

The full Airbnb Trending Winter Destinations report can be found here.

The post These Are The Top Destinations U.S. Travelers Will Be Flocking To This Winter appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

If you’ve always had your sights set on moving abroad but aren’t sure to where, have you ever considered Portugal?

The Portuguese government is dropping taxes for those 35 years and under to encourage foreigners to move to the country, and young residents to stop from emigrating. This could benefit anywhere from 350,000 and 400,000 young people.

Portugal has one of the lowest salaries in Europe, causing many people (especially the youth) to move out of the country in hopes to make better wages elsewhere. For context, the monthly minimum wage in the country comes to €870 (~$945). A full time employee on minimum wage in NYC makes a monthly income of about $2,773 before taxes. On top of Portugal’s low wages, those earning the average salary in the country currently pay a 26% rate on taxes.

So how many young people have really left Portugal? According to the National Statistics Institute, 361,000 people between the ages of 15 – 35 emigrated from the country between 2008 – 2023.

This new tax break from the Portugal government would relieve those 35 and under (both foreigners and locals) making up to €28,000/year (~$34,000) from paying taxes their first year. During years two through four, this demographic would be exempt from paying 75% of taxes; then 50% exempt in five to seven years, and 25% during years eight and ten.

Portuguese leaders like finance minister, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, thinks the tax plan would be “a fundamental tool to meet the objective of retaining and attracting young people to Portugal.”

If this sort of tax breaks interests you, Portugal offers numerous visas to move there such as the Golden Visa, D8 Visa (Digital Nomad Visa), D7 Visa and so on.

The tax plan, which would cost the country a yearly €650M, was revealed as part of the 2025 budget and still needs to be passed with a parliamentary vote on October 31st, 2024.

The post Move To Portugal And Get 10 Years Of Tax Breaks If You’re 35 Or Younger appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here