What if we told you that you could have the chance to win the ultimate getaway by entering an ice cream sandwich sweepstakes? If that sounds like a dream come true, here’s the scoop on how you can enter for the opportunity to turn it into reality.
We’ve partnered with Chips Ahoy! to bring readers a spectacular opportunity to indulge your sweet tooth and enter for the chance to win an incredible getaway. All you have to do is create the ultimate Chips Ahoy! ice cream sandwich recipe inspired by your happy place, share it with us here, and you could win an unforgettable trip to the U.S. destination of your choice.*
About the sweepstakes
Think about your happy place. Whether it’s a sunny beach or a vibrant cityscape, what sorts of flavors remind you of that special destination?
Once you feel like you’ve captured the essence of your happy place, round up the necessary ingredients to build your ice cream sandwich. Use Gopuff for an easy, convenient grocery delivery that will bring your Chips Ahoy! ice cream sandwich supplies right to your door in as fast as 15 minutes.
Be sure to include Chips Ahoy! cookies in your Gopuff order, the base required for your ice cream sandwich entry. With so many versatile flavors to choose from, Chips Ahoy! cookies will make your creations look as good as they taste – which is important for this next step.
After carefully designing and constructing your happy place-inspired ice cream sandwiches, snap an Insta-worthy photo of the final product and submit it here. It’s as simple as that!
If you don’t feel like inventing your own recipe, you can also browse a variety of pre-selected ice cream sandwich bundles inspired by our favorite Secret cities. From NYC to L.A. and Chicago, you’ll find a delicious variety of city-inspired ice cream sandwich kits that we’ve curated with Gopuff to represent our own happy places.
NYC-inspired ice cream sandwich recipe
If you hadn’t already guessed, our happy place is right here in NYC. That’s why our Chips Ahoy! ice cream sandwich creation celebrates some of the city’s most iconic and nostalgic flavors, specifically New York cheesecake and good old fashioned pretzels.
Enjoy a taste of NYC by testing out this mouthwatering recipe yourself:
Place one upside down Chips Ahoy! Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie on a plate and top with a scoop of ice cream. Using the ice cream scooper, gently spread the ice cream to the cookie’s edges. Then sprinkle the pretzel topping and drizzle chocolate syrup over the ice cream. Sandwich another cookie on top and lightly press it all together into a compact sandwich. Enjoy immediately or after freezing!
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to residents of the 50 United States, D.C., & Puerto Rico 18 and older. Ends: 9/2/24. Void where prohibited. Visit https://chipsahoysweetescapes.com for free alternate method of entry & for Official Rules.
“Air conditioning is the best way to stay safe and healthy when it is hot outside, but some people at risk of heat illness do not have or do not turn on an air conditioner,” reads an official press release by NYC Emergency Management. “People without air conditioning should identify their Cool Options, which are indoor air-conditioned places open to the public like libraries, malls, and museums.”
In addition to the public spaces, the city has also opened 500 cooling centers around town that are accessible by all. The destinations will stay open through Thursday at least.
How to find a cooling center near you
There are a few different ways to locate cooling centers around you, starting with calling non-emergency service 311.
The city has also recently revamped its cool options map, which you can find right here. Input your address and the map will be populated with all cool-down options around you.
The Cool It! NYC map is also a good resource, one that includes outdoor destinations like drinking fountains and spray showers in addition to more “traditional” sites.
A similar map that spans the entire New York State region can also be found here.
How to keep your pets cool during the heatwave
We can’t forget about our furry friends when dealing with the incessant heat. They, of course, need to be protected from the weather as well.
According to Pix11, the Brooklyn Museum is currently serving as a pet-friendly cooling center.
The above-mentioned maps also list a bunch of locations that will let you hang out with your animal in tow.
Finally, the below Petco addresses have announced that they will be serving as cooling centers during opening hours:
One of our favorite seasonal traditions is seeing what over-the-top theme the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at the Moxy Times Square will take on next. Over the years, the sky-high spot has transformed itself into a Barbie-inspired beach club, a glittering après-ski lodge and a Halloween-themed pumpkin patch. And now for summer, it’s cranking up those Cowboy Carter jams for a Magic Hour Surf Club takeover that combines beachy-cool breeziness with Wild West motifs.
Launching today, June 18, and running through fall, Magic Hour’s summer pop-up will be all done up in coastal cowgirl style. The rooftop’s east terrace will feature decorative surfboards, accents of sunflowers and seagrass, comfortable cabana seating and a neat-o vintage bus, to serve as a photo opp with the Empire State Building directly behind it. The west terrace is similarly festive with retro beach chairs, fringed umbrellas and the rooftop’s revolving carousel, which will be festooned with vibrant florals. And the venue’s putt-putt area has been transformed into Sandy Boots Beach, with rustic Western touches like wildflowers and cacti.
To go along with that decor theme, the menu has been overhauled by Senior Beverage Director Nikki McCutcheon and VP of Culinary Operations Chef Jason Hall. Cocktails include the “This Ain’t Texas,” a frozen margarita made with Volcan Blanco Tequila, Vita Coco coconut water, lime, agave and served in a cowboy-boot cocktail glass ($20), as well as zesty Tajin-rimmed micheladas ($14) and “beeritas” ($18). You can also get pina colada pitchers to share with your howdy-partners, made with Su Casa Mezcal, pineapple and Vita Coco coconut water, and priced at $85 per jug. And daily from 5pm to 7pm, you can purchase a bar pass for $45 for a complimentary open bar.
Food is comforting stuff: think oversized pretzels with nacho cheese sauce and spicy mustard ($18), lobster corn dogs with Old Bay mayo and corn nuts ($24), grilled rum-splashed pineapple served right out of the fruit’s hull ($19), and two footlong Coney Island-style hot dogs with yellow mustard, relish and sauerkraut ($35, feeds four).
Check out the rootin’, tootin’ good time that is Magic Hour Surf Club below, plus the pop-up’s new food-and-drink offerings below:
Photograph: Dan Nilson Photography | Magic Hour Surf ClubPhotograph: Dan Nilson Photography | Magic Hour Surf ClubPhotograph: Dan Nilson Photography | Magic Hour Surf ClubTao Hospitality GroupMagic Hour Surf Club
Photograph: courtesy of Tao Hospitality Group | Footlong Coney Island Hot Dog at Magic Hour Surf ClubPhotograph: courtesy of Tao Hospitality Group | Grilled Boozy Pineapple at Magic Hour Surf ClubPhotograph: courtesy Tao Hospitality Group | Jumbo NYC Pretzel at Magic Hour Surf ClubPhotograph: Tao Hospitality Group | Beeritas at Magic Hour Surf Club
Photograph: courtesy of Tao Hospitality Group | This Ain’t Texas at Magic Hour Surf Club
WNYC has been on the airwaves for 100 years this year and to celebrate, it’s lighting the Empire State Building red and throwing a months-long slate of live events, on-air programming, public art and city-wide storytelling!
When it launched in 1924, NYC had only been officially five boroughs for 25 years. According to the radio station, it was City Commissioner Grover Whalen who came up with the idea of a municipal radio station for all the boroughs. Since then WNYC has become an independent media organization we all love (you can see it on our tote bags and mugs) for its innovative coverage of the city’s news and culture.
“WNYC commenced in 1924 with an ambitious task: to unite a city and be ‘the voice of New York’,” said Timothy Wilkins, Chair of the New York Public Radio Board of Trustees. “We enter a new century embracing the challenge of reflecting the voices of all New Yorkers—across our local reporting, live radio shows and podcasts, and coverage of the culture and communities we serve. WNYC’s extraordinary transformation was driven through the support of New Yorkers and members who believe in our mission. It is with tremendous gratitude for the engagement, participation, and generosity of our listener community that we step forward into the next 100 years.”
At 8:30pm on July 8, the Empire State Building, an icon of NYC itself, will light up in red (the station’s signature color) as Brian Lehrer throws an on-air birthday party with WNYC’s Archivist Andy Lanset, who will play audio clips from across WNYC history. During this time you can call in with your own WNYC memory and b-day wishes. WNYC says to expect “a few surprise guests and notable New Yorkers!”
Then, starting at 8:54pm, the exact time WNYC went on air in 1924, there will be a creative reenacting of the station’s first broadcast by Brooke Gladstone (host of On the Media) and John Schaefer (host of New Sounds) and other special guests, including Tony Award-winning actress Sarah Jones. Grammy winner and founder of The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill, and an ensemble of musicians and singer Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso will perform his new arrangements of musical selections from the 1924 broadcast. Two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges will perform the national anthem, too.
Following the kick-off, WNYC will air gems from its archives and collect New Yorkers’ audio stories. It’ll also release a special centennial collection of covers of songs from the 1920s from artists including Rhiannon Giddens, They Might Be Giants, and Rosanne Cash alongside some listener submissions. To celebrate the release, there will be a special outdoor concert presented with St. Ann’s Warehouse pegged to the 100th anniversary of “Rhapsody in Blue.”
The station will also unveil a public art project inspired by the 100 years of WNYC from artist Katie Merz on The Greene Space’s street-facing windows.
Finally, in September, Brian Lehrer and other WNYC hosts from On the Media, New Sounds, and This American Life and special guests like Freestyle Love Supreme and mxmtoon will host a variety show at Central Park’s SummerStage Festival.
It’ll hold a special gala on November 19 at The Glasshouse—cocktail hour, seated dinner, and an after-party for younger New Yorkers with special performances and speakers from across New York Public Radio’s programs.
You can find out more here. But below is the full rundown.
Happy Birthday, WNYC!
100 Years of WNYC: A Centennial Celebration
Happy Birthday WNYC! An on-air celebration, hosted by Brian Lehrer, on July 8, at 7pm (on WNYC 93.FM and AM 820)
Re-imagining of WNYC’s inaugural broadcast, 8:52-10pm (on WNYC 93. FM and AM 820 and live on stage in The Greene Space)
The Empire State Building Lighting, approximately 8:30pm.
“From the Archives” Audio Spots (July 8 – ongoing)
Past and present WNYC staff Sara Fishko, Latif Nasser, and Stevan Smith will take listeners on a tour of key moments from the WNYC and NYC Municipal archives, starting with WNYC’s oldest surviving piece of audio – Charles Lindbergh from 1927. Other selections include press conferences, events, and interviews with Jack Kerouac (1958), Bob Dylan (1961), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1964), Martin Scorsese (1970), Gloria Steinem (1982), and Barack Obama (2007). Listeners will also hear key historic news reports that aired on WNYC, including the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor (1941), a broadcast of a town hall meeting on the Atom Bomb (1951), and WNYC journalists running toward the Twin Towers to report
Public Art for Public Radio: A Katie Merz Art Installation (ongoing)
Acclaimed multidisciplinary artist and lifelong New Yorker Katie Merz is best known for her
contemporary large-scale murals on urban building exteriors and in public spaces. A passionate public radio fan whose work also includes NPR and WNYC host portraits, Merz will create a public art piece on the street-facing windows of The Greene Space, inspired by a century of stories that define our city and listeners’ contributions of what is iconally New York.
“Your New York Stories” – an audio storytelling initiative (July 8 – ongoing)
Starting July 8 through the end of the year, listeners are invited to join the New York conversation and share their own tales of this messy, complex and beautiful city. Participants will be able to record their stories online at wnyc.org/100, at WNYC Centennial events, and at select partner organizations across the five boroughs. Select stories will be shared on-air on WNYC, online, and 9on our social channels.
100 Years of 100 Things with Brian Lehrer (July 8 – ongoing)
On his regular weekday show (10am-noon M-F), Brian debuts a new series that takes listeners through a century’s worth of history of things that shape our politics, our lives, and our world. First up, 100 Years of WNYC! Additional topics will include everything from immigration policy to political conventions, American capitalism to American socialism, the Jersey Shore to the Catskills, baseball to ice cream.
All of It’s “Public Song Project”
All of It’s “Public Song Project” is an open invitation for New Yorkers to engage and explore American cultural history by recording new versions of music that has recently entered the public domain. This year, in honor of WNYC’s Centennial, All of It invited listeners and special musical guests to focus on their own renditions of songs from the 1920s. A panel of judges including Lincoln Center’s Chief Artistic Officer Shanta Thake, WNYC’s John Schaefer, and Switched on Pop podcast host Charlie Harding will select the top entries to play on air.
The People’s Concert at Lincoln Center Saturday, July 20 at 6pm
All of It listeners will get a shot at performing their submissions on-stage along with award-winning interpreter of Black folk music Jay Blount at The People’s Concert at Lincoln Center, presented as part of Civic Saturdays.
Rhapsody for This Land: The American Odyssey Saturday, July 27 at 6pm
WNYC and St. Ann’s Warehouse will present “Rhapsody for This Land: The American Odyssey” in Music, a free concert in Brooklyn Bridge Park that celebrates a century of hope, protest and change as expressed through American music. “Rhapsody for This Land” will feature renowned pianist Lara Downes performing her exuberant new project, “Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined,” created to mark the centennial this year of Gershwin’s landmark composition. The concert will also feature performances by other acclaimed artists spanning a broad range of genres and traditions including Christian McBride, Rosanne Cash, Arturo O’Farrill, Time for Three, and the Orchestra Elena under Aram Demirjian. WNYC will broadcast the concert live, and All of It’s Alison Stewart will host.
Central Park SummerStage September 9
Join Brian Lehrer for a live radio broadcast from Central Park! The evening will include some of the most beloved voices you’ve heard on the air and a lineup of comedy, music, trivia, and more. Featuring performances by Freestyle Love Supreme and mxmtoon, a DJ set by Donwill, and segments with WNYC’s All Things Considered host Sean Carlson, On the Media’s Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger, All o>It’s Alison Stewart, This American Life’s Ira Glass, New Sounds’’ John Schaefer, and storytelling from The Moth. Other guests to be announced – plus a few surprise guests you’ll have to be there to hear!
New York Public Radio’s Centennial Gala Tuesday, November 19
New York Public Radio hosts its annual Gala honoring its work and the generosity of those who support it. This year’s event will be held at The Glasshouse and includes cocktail hour, seated dinner, and an amplified after-party for young New Yorkers, all to celebrate a century of public service journalism and usher WNYC into its next 100 years. The program will feature special performances and speakers from across New York.
Rezdôra has been championing regional pasta dishes since it opened five years ago and to great effect: those stunning bowls of anolini di parma, tagliolini al ragu and the famed grandma walking through the forest in Emilia (Cappelletti verdi with roasted, sautéed leeks and black mushroom purée) haven’t just won the restaurant plenty of local fans but also a coveted Michelin star. And now that pasta pedigree is expanding with a sibling: meet Massara.
From chef Stefano Secchi and partner David Switzer comes the Flatiron newcomer, which celebrates the cuisine of Italy’s Campania region. (For you Duolingo-heads, “massara” means “matriarch” or “head of the household” in the Campanian dialect.) For the menu, Secchi taps into memories of visiting Southern Italy as a child, with much of the cooking centered around the restaurant’s wood-burning oven.
From there, he fires up pizzettes made with a “lievito madre” starter of wild yeast that the chef brought back from a family trip to the region as a young boy. Those al forno rounds includes a traditional Margherita, a cheese-free Montanara Marinara (with tomatoes and capers) and a Montanara with Crudo (with mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto.) The kitchen’s wood-burning grill anchors the menu’s Secondi section—including “Capra in Four Ways” (a whole heritage goat that gets braised, roasted and grilled before it’s served with cannelloni) and a Wagyu steak that’s grilled with flakey salt and comes served with an optional 25-year-old aged balsamic—as well as seasonal vegetables like broccoli rabe “Stracotta” (with garlic and pepperoncino) and zucchini “Alla Scapece” (with mint, vinegar and house-smoked olive oil.)
And it wouldn’t be a Rezdôra sibling without, of course, fresh pasta: Corteccia arrives with sausage ragù in bianca; candele with ragù Genovese; and “Cheesemakers Raviolini” with bufala mozzarella and basil. There’s also a cold spaghetti dish, dubbed “If Pasta Fredda was Eaten in Amalfi,” which pairs the chilled noodles with raw red shrimp and almonds.
Poured at a Carrara marble bar, wines curated by Wine Director Michael Duffy skew south of the boot, with selections from Sardinia, Campagna and Sicily. And the cocktail menu, designed by Morgan Marak, is centered around southern amaros and the citrusy, herbaceous flavors found along Italy’s sunny southern coast, which means you can settle into those buttery leather booths for spritzes, Negronis and more.
Check out Chef Secchi’s regional Italian dishes at Massara, as well as photos of its dining room, below:
Photograph: Alex Staniloff | Raviolini at MassaraPhotograph: Alex Staniloff | Branzino at MassaraPhotograph: Alex Staniloff | Pizzettes at MassaraPhotograph: Alex Staniloff | Spaghetti at MassaraPhotograph: Brian Ferry | inside MassaraPhotograph: Brian Ferry | Inside MassaraMassara
Massara is open at 913 Broadway in the Flatiron District.
Clearly, the public’s hunger for all things immersive is not slowing down: INTER_, the interactive art center at 415 Broadway by Canal Street in Soho, will debut its latest experience, The INTERnet, on June 20.
Basically a massive maze made of ropes, the exhibit allows attendees to jump inside, climb, relax and even get lost in the whole webbed arrangement that’s comprised of 80,000 feet of handwoven rope, which is part of a 400-square-foot interactive artwork created by Treenet Collective, a net expert company.
Photograph: Courtesy of INTER_
Unsurprisingly, the 375-square-foot exhibit took a combined 1,500 hours of work to be completed.
“The INTERnet gives our visitors a space to unleash their inner child and also provides a space to quietly reflect and connect with others in a new, unprecedented way,” said Stanton Jones, Creative Director at INTER_, in an official statement. “Every strand interconnects and is dependent upon the strands around it for the overall strength of the net—like the human family, we’re stronger as INTERconnected communities than when we try to stand alone.”
Photograph: Courtesy of INTER_
The installation, which accommodates 15 people at once, boasts a variety of different weaving styles, each one creating a “setting” for folks to dive into, including the “quantum leap,” where guests can play in mid-air, and the “social network,” a more serene space that will feel like you are floating above everyone else.
In case you’re a rope fanatic, here are some fun facts: the organizers used parachute cords to build the system, which are lightweight nylon ropes “originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes” but also commonly seen across military circles.
The organizers also let us know that the installation can hold 10,000 pounds at once—which is just about the weight of 25 grand pianos or an average adult male African elephant. Pretty intense, right?
