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Step outside any New York City skyscraper in the heart of Manhattan during the peak of rush-hour traffic, and you will find very loyal corporate-employee owners walking their chihuahuas and great danes across city blocks. Occasionally, on a sunny day in Central Park, you may find a cat in a harness, a bunny sitting peacefully upon somebody’s lap, or a man with 20 leashes around his wrist strolling casually by. 

All that is to say, New York City residents have always cherished their pets, and the New-York Historical Society is here to document that. In the new special exhibition titled Pets and the City, they’ll feature an array of artwork—primarily obtained from the New-York Historical’s Museum and Library collections—that document the multidimensional roles animals have played to serve and coexist alongside human beings. See the exhibition from October 25 to April 27, 2025. 

RECOMMENDED: Explore 200 years of women’s fashion at New-York Historical Society this fall

Through photographs, memorabilia, film and television clips, the exhibition explores how the relationship between humans and their pets has transformed alongside the ever-changing New York City landscape. 

“I hope visitors come away from this exhibition with a deeper appreciation for the profound impact pets have had on our city’s culture and society and a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of our animals,” Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical, said in a press release. 

Here are a few exhibition highlights

Pets as essential to early American societies 

Back to America’s earliest days, pets were essential. The exhibition begins with an exploration of pets as vital to early Indigenous communities and settlers to the American region. This section zooms back in time highlighting the significance of Mohawk people using clan animal drawings to sign their name in documents from 1788 and the ritualization of the hunting process—both of which emphasize animals as much more than just a food source. 

Pets and the nuclear family 

As the exhibit moves through time, family portraits from the late-18th and early-19th century show how pets were vital to the urbanization of New York City. As New Yorkers witnessed their surroundings develop, domesticated animals served as warm reminders of the natural world, easing the transition process. The exhibition features a multitude of family portraits that reveal pets as fixtures in domestic spheres, as well as portraits and videos of pets from all over the world. 

Pets as merchandise and medalists  

Moving into the late-19th and early-20th century, the exhibition hones in on the use of pets for commercial practices. Whether it was cats featured on trade cards targeted towards women or pets as central to children’s toys and games, domesticated animals became a golden ticket for businesses to make a profit. With the arrival of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and national cat shows, you’ll get to see how pets have expanded outside of the family home and into national entertainment and commercial spheres. 

Pets as working animals

Both historically and in the present day, people have relied on animals to improve their daily lives. Check out historic photos and contemporary equipment that trace the origin story of Seeing Eye and bomb-sniffing dogs, as well as paintings, drawings, and photographs that explore the main form of transportation centuries before: The horse. Though it’s hard to imagine today, at the end of the 19th century, almost 200,000 horses populated the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

Pets as pests 

While Pets and the City focuses on how humans have used animals in a multitude of ways, the exhibition also places emphasis on the pets themselves through an exploration of animal rights legislation in New York City. From the 1866 anti-cruelty law and the founding of the ASPCA to present-day animal rights organizations and animal cafes, the exhibition provides viewers with an understanding of the nuanced relationships between individuals and their pets—and how they continue to change in contemporary society.  

Programming 

Keep an eye out for a variety of programming, including a family guide available for children available throughout the run of the exhibition. Family-friendly events are also featured, including Little New-Yorkers, Sunday Storytime books, and craft activities. Be sure to also check out their special Halloween event during the month of October. 

* This article was originally published here

Bastille Day—the date of the storming of the Bastille in 1789, effectively the national day of France—is happening this weekend on July 14 and, although there are a few ways to celebrate from the comfort of your New York abode, a particular schedule of events taking over Madison Avenue from 59th Street to 63rd Street sounds like the very best time to be had.

L’Alliance New York’s Bastille Day festivities highlight the European country’s influence on fashion, culture, food, film and more, this year tailored to the much-anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics, set to debut later this month. 

According to an official press release, the event is expected to draw over 25,000 people to the area—so you might want to plan which portions of the massive activation you would like to tackle first.  

To that intent, let us draw your attention on some of the most exciting programs, starting with the culinary.

A ton of local French purveyors will set up shop on Madison Avenue this Sunday, including Crêpe Suzette de France, Angelina Paris, Paul Crée, Mille-Feuille Bakery and Home Frite, among others. 

There will also be over 50 food and lifestyle booths peppered between 61st and 63rd Streets, because what is a Sunday without a bit of shopping?

In terms of activities, there will be a lot to do: famous photographer JR is scheduled to set up his Inside Out photo booth in the area, inviting New Yorkers to have their photo taken and then paste it as a poster on Madison.

Three pétanue courts (for the uninitiated, that’s the popular French sport that will remind you of a game of bocce but really isn’t), a Citroën car show and a variety of kids activities like ring toss and chess classes will also be on offer. 

You can read through the entire schedule of events right here.

Keep in mind that the celebration will happen rain, shine… or tornadoes. Given this weekend’s forecast, you might want to bring an umbrella along, in fact. 

* This article was originally published here

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ war on trash continues with the unveiling of the city’s very first official garbage bin, a wheeled container featuring a rat-proof lid that all buildings with one to nine residential units will be required to use starting November 12. 

Special use buildings that receive New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) collection (think houses of worship, city agency buildings and more) will also be required to store their garbage in these new containers, finally forced not to pile it in bags on the street, starting mid-November.

According to an official press release, the bins, which are available for about $50 online right here, are cheaper than most others of this size. They also boast a bar that will make it easier for the agency to collect them using the new “tipper” garbage trucks that officials recently unveiled.

“NYC-branded wheeled containers, custom designed to work with our trucks, are the key to keeping our most precious real estate—New York City sidewalks—clear,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi in an official statement. “With over 70 percent of New York City’s trash contained, the Adams administration and the hardworking men and women of DSNY are defying the odds and the naysayers and winning the ‘trash revolution.’”

It’s important to note that the new rule only applies to trash and compostable material. That being said, matching green and blue NYC bins—meant to collect paper, metal, glass, plastic and cartons—are also available for purchase on the above-mentioned website. Make sure to order your picks by October 1 for guaranteed deliver by November 12, when the new guidelines go into effect.

Of course, it’ll be some time until the novel processes are fully implemented, but just in case you need a bit more convincing: the fine for leaving trash on the street rather than one of these secure bins is $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second and $200 for any other time after that. It all adds up, so go ahead and start ordering your new garbage can.

Let’s be honest: the NYC Bin looks like… any other properly constructed outdoor garbage collection device we’ve ever seen. That’s not bad, but forgive us for wondering why it took so long to get all those piles of trash currently sitting in the middle of New York off of our curbs. It’s about time officials actually did something about it.

* This article was originally published here

Back in October 2022 Port Authority announced possibly introducing self-driving shuttles to JFK airport, and now, nearly two years later, they’re rolling out this summer!

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, two self-driving shuttles are set to begin transporting travelers dropping off or picking up their cars at JFK’s long-term (and massive) Parking Lot 9. The rides will begin as early as next week.

The shuttles, which are owned by New Zealand-based company Ohmio, can each carry eight passengers and, even better, the rides are totally free. And though the shuttles are totally self-driving, safety attendants will be on board greeting and assisting riders.

The shuttles are part of a pilot program testing the technology. Previously, they were tested sans riders in empty parking lots at New Jersey’s Newark Airport.

Shaped like “giant lima beans with wheels,” the shuttles will drive around the parking lot one at a time, though more will eventually be put into service to create “platoons.”

They’ll be in service through this summer (taking the place of one conventional bus that currently circles the massive lot), promising increased service levels

Seth Wainer, program director for innovation at the Port Authority, stated:

We foresee a situation where vehicles can safely convey passengers all over the airport footprint, and our hope here is that instead of having just one driver stuck in one vehicle, we can have one driver supervising more than one vehicle and really paying attention to the folks actually getting on and getting off.

The post Self-Driving Shuttles Will Transport Travelers Around JFK Airport This Summer appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here