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Reservations are now open for summer NYC Restaurant Week 2024
It’s official: reservations for New York City Restaurant Week Summer 2024 are now live! Back again for the summer, this twice-annual event offers special deals and discounts at over 600 restaurants across all five boroughs.
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“For over 30 years, NYC Restaurant Week has offered people from across the boroughs and around the world a chance to experience the city’s best and most cherished restaurants, old and new, all at an affordable price,” said chef, restaurateur and co-chair of the New York City Tourism + Conventions Culinary Committee, David Burke. “We’re eager to welcome New Yorkers and visitors back this summer to experience the City’s exciting and vibrant dining scene once more.”
While it is billed as a week, Restaurant Week has long been extended, officially running from July 22 to August 18. However, a handful of venues are keeping the fun going, extending their deals all the way to September 18. This year, you can find dining deals priced at $30, $45 and $60 on offer for brunch, lunch and dinner, even on Sundays.
Not sure where to go? Head to NYC Restaurant Week’s website to filter down your choice by cuisine, meal type and even borough you want to dine in. But if combing through hundreds of restaurants overwhelms you, we just dropped our guide to the best things to order for this Restaurant Week. Now, get to eating!
12 Pickleball Courts To Open Beneath The Brooklyn Bridge
CityPickle, known for transforming Central Park’s Wollman Rink into a Pickleball paradise, is bringing more pickleball playtime underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
The area, better known as Anchorage Plaza, will receive a much needed revitalization with 12 pickleball courts, after gaining approval from the NYC Parks Department.
And if you never hopped on the pickleball trend, have no fear! CityPickle’s proposal promises a slew of other amenities and open public space, in addition to the courts. These include a dog run, tree nursery, food trucks, ping pong area and more.
The 12 courts will be open for rentals, open play, clinics and leagues, as shared in the Request For Proposals.
According to Brooklyn Eagle, the project will require a minimum $2 million investment from CityPickle to carry out the proper draining and leveling of the area.
Though the proposal was met with much enthusiasm, license negotiations have yet to be finalized. However, if all goes to plan, construction at Anchorage Plaza would begin in the next few months to open the revived area to the public in spring 2025.
For more information, you can check out NYC Park’s presentation.
In other news: Here’s Where To Play Pickleball In NYC Right Now
The post 12 Pickleball Courts To Open Beneath The Brooklyn Bridge appeared first on Secret NYC.
New York Knicks stars Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson share their favorite NYC restaurants and more
It’s been quite some time since New York Knicks fans have been this excited about their team.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart—terrific basketball stars and real-life pals—just renewed their contracts and Knicks aficionados feel imbued with a renewed sense of enthusiasm.
Perhaps, we’ll actually win the championship for the first time since 1973 this upcoming season? A girl can dream.
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As fans are aware of, Brunson and Hart are actually friends (they were teammates at Villanova!), a connection that makes their podcast Roommates Show with Jalen Brunson & Josh Hart that much more fun to listen to.
The comradeship is palpable across every episode recorded alongside co-host Matt Hillman and will be put on full display in Central Park this September, as the teammates will shoot their season two kickoff episode live from Central Park.
Confirmed guests at the September 7 show include Jon Stewart and Mikal Bridges. Ticket holders will also get to watch a live musical performance by Action Bronson.
Tickets for the event, which will begin at 6pm at the iconic Rumsey Playfield, will go on sale this Friday at 10am. You can register for the pre-sale right here.
“There is nothing like the outpouring of love and support that we get from our fans when we play in our home city,” Brunson and Hart said in a joint statement. “We have the greatest fans in the world and we want to further allow them into our world. We can’t wait to bring The Roommates Show to life like never before with our biggest guests yet in front of 5,000 fans; it’s going to be a special day for us both.”
While gearing up for their Central Park appearance, the iconic basketball duo discusses top NYC restaurant choices and the love of fans with Time Out New York.
Tell us about the podcast.
Josh Hart: We had an opportunity to do something fun together and it was a way to get to know us outside of the basketball court. It is just something that we wanted to do and be a part of in New York.
What do you guys like to do on your time off when in New York?
Jalen Brunson: We like to grab dinner and hang out with our families because they are just as close-knit as we are. Whenever we get a chance to get together and step away from the basketball court, we take it as an opportunity for reflection. We obviously enjoy a good meal and there are a million places to go to in New York so Josh and I definitely try to make our rounds.
What are some of your favorite restaurants?
Brunson: One of my favorite restaurants is Catch. I also love Sugarfish and sushi in general.
Hart: JB, what’s the spot that we went to before the Rangers game the other night that was fire?
Brunson: BOND ST!
Are there any public basketball courts that you like to play on?
Brunson: Josh can’t play outside, his knees won’t allow it.
Hart: My knees will crumble!
Brunson: I’ve been to Dyckman Park. Actually, the other day I was at a court in Queens for the New York vs. New York tournament. I love going to watch and just being part of the New York culture.
How does New York as a setting add to your podcast?
Brunson: It’s definitely a factor. I think people get to see us outside of our comfort zones. Actually, in our comfort zones. We’re just sitting back talking about whatever.
Hart: Our podcast is our genuine selves and it gives off this New York kind of vibe. We say what is on our minds whether you like it or not. It’s a fun way for us to thank the New York fans and show them some love and appreciation.
This NYC atelier is creating a more inclusive approach to custom suiting
The world of made-to-measure clothing is steeped in tradition. Many contemporary customs regarding suiting—from button placement and color to fabric choices—have been in place for centuries. While that continuity lends a certain timelessness to the industry it also makes it ripe for innovation. Local atelier Watson Ellis is seizing that opportunity.
After working in the male-dominated business for over a decade, Melissa Watson Ellis realized there was a glaring lack of custom suit companies catering equally to women, men and nonbinary individuals. She launched her bespoke NYC atelier to reach that untapped market.
“I definitely saw that the industry was missing a huge group of people,” says Watson Ellis.
At a light-filled atelier on the corner of 8th Avenue and 14th Street, Watson Ellis offers handmade suiting in three options: custom, bespoke and one-of-a-kind original designs. (The difference between the first two is an extra muslin fitting.) First, however, she had to overcome a pretty big obstacle: the lack of suiting templates for cis female bodies.
“There wasn’t a template,” says Watson Ellis. “So I based the middle size off of my own body and then graded up and down from there. What else did I have to work with?”
Along with a personalized and inclusive approach to her work with clients, Watson Ellis prioritizes sustainability in her approach—sourcing fabrics from ethical mills across Italy, France and the U.K. The atelier also offers one of the widest ranges of vegan fabrics in New York. Shirts start at $300 while suits cost an average of $2,200.
Currently, Watson Ellis says her diverse clientele visits the atelier for many reasons. Some want to create custom garments for important days—weddings, premieres, red carpets and openings—while others are looking for day-to-day power suiting. No matter the end goal, she prioritizes a progressive approach to styling as well as construction.
“I always ask a few questions when we start out to see what someone’s vibe is and what they need a suit for,” says Watson Ellis. “Then, I try to push them in a direction that I think would be good for their eyes, hair and skin tone. We always try to push people to do something a little more interesting. Trust us! Don’t be afraid! But we also want to respect someone who’s not comfortable doing a green suit. That’s fine! We can still do the blue and gray.”
At the end of the day, Watson Ellis says her Manhattan atelier has one common goal: “I just want to make you look cool. I want to make a suit how you want it.”
NYC To Install 7 Miles Of A Special Kind Of Pavement To Combat Flooding
We’ve seen time and time again heavy rain to bring substantial flooding to NYC–these photos and videos blew our minds back in September of last year–and NYC officials have just unveiled their plan to combat flooding: porous pavement.
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of Design and Construction (DDC) have announced that “work is underway to install seven miles of porous pavement along area roadways to help better manage stormwater and reduce flooding and sewer overflows,” according to a press release.
Unlike traditional asphalt, porous pavement allows stormwater to pass through and be absorbed naturally into the ground. This means that stormwater drains that lead into the sewer system aren’t as necessary, which in turn will help prevent flooding, sewer backups into homes and businesses, and overflows into waterways.
The porous pavement, which can withstand the weight of motor vehicles, will be installed along street curb lines where stormwater typically drains. It can prevent millions of gallons of stormwater from overwhelming the sewer system annually.
And though several different types of porous pavement have been tested throughout the years around NYC, this will be the first large-scale implementation. Plus, NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley stated that the pavements are “only one way DDC is implementing green infrastructure across the city to combat the effects of climate change and reduce flooding in our communities.”
NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala stated:
Climate change is bringing with it rainstorms that can overwhelm our sewers and cause flooding across the five boroughs, which is why we are investing in tools that will divert rainwater away from the sewer system, such as porous pavement. Brooklyn got hit particularly hard by Tropical Storm Ophelia last September and this new porous pavement will help to ease pressure on the sewer system and protect residents during future storms.
The porous pavement is currently being installed in South Brooklyn with construction anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2025.
Contracts are expected to get under way later this year to bring porous pavement to other Brooklyn neighborhoods, as well as to communities in the Bronx. Additional contracts are currently in planning for neighborhoods in Queens.
In other news: This Is The Reason NYC Is So F&%*ing Hot Right Now
The post NYC To Install 7 Miles Of A Special Kind Of Pavement To Combat Flooding appeared first on Secret NYC.
Connect with strangers at this free exhibition at the World Trade Center
In the rush of everyday life as busy New Yorkers, it’s all too easy to lose sight of each other’s humanity. And, as much as we might irritate each other on hot, crowded subway platforms, we all ultimately share a desire to connect and make something of ourselves in this chaotic city.
That shared connectedness is exactly what a new immersive installation at the World Trade Center hopes to remind us of by displaying thousands of anonymous hand written stories collected from all sorts of people.
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The exhibition, called The Strangers Project, will be set up inside the South Concourse of the Oculus at the World Trade Center Thursdays through Sundays from 2pm until 7pm for an indefinite period of time.
The Strangers Project has been around since 2009 and was created by Brooklyn-based artist Brandon Doman, who has traveled around the country to exhibit the heartfelt notes.
Each note contains a true story by a stranger, ranging from hilarious tales to inspiring anecdotes and downright heartbreaking recountings. In the 15 years since the project started, Doman has collected more than 95,000 stories and allowed thousands of strangers to empathize with each other without ever meeting.
If you’ve seen the project before around the city, that’s because the exhibition has hopped around some of the most iconic public spaces, including Washington Square Park, where it lived for several years.
Now, the Oculus has given the exhibit a new home for the foreseeable future—and it feels like the perfect spot, considering it is a transit hub that brings together people from different parts of the city and New Jersey.
The best part of the exhibit, of course, is that it’s ongoing and ever growing. That means that if you’re up for it and want to vent to a stranger, you can leave your own note too, adding to this iconic archive of urban life that we’re pretty sure will continue to inspire New Yorkers for decades to come.
Make sure to follow The Strangers Project on Instagram for more information and updates on the exhibit.