Author: Site Adminstrator

If you think the trains in our subway system are outdated, wait until you see these vintage subway cars.

The New York Transit Museum is bringing back Summer Nostalgia Rides this summer, giving New Yorkers the chance to hop aboard trains that were in operation over 100 years ago. 

RECOMMENDED: 7 hacks to make the most of NYC’s Moynihan Train Hall

In total, two Nostalgia Rides will take New Yorkers straight to the beach this summer. 

A route on Saturday, July 20, will depart from 96th Street-Second Avenue Station at 10am and head towards Coney Island on an R 1-9 vintage train from the 1930s. That ride will take approximately two hours and, once in Coney Island, you will be able to take advantage of the many things to do there, like going for a dip at the beach, riding old rollercoasters or seeing the many sea critters at the New York Aquarium. If you want to go back home on the vintage train, make sure to catch it at 4pm when it leaves from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue to head back towards 96th Street.

Your other chance to catch a vintage train will be on August 11, when another R 1-9 will be taking a trip from 96th Street to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street in Queens departing at 10am. That ride will last anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes and will leave the Rockaways at 3pm to head back to Manhattan. If you’re planning to spend the whole day at the Rockaways, make sure to check out our guide on what to eat while you’re there. 

Tickets to the vintage train are $60 for adults and $40 for children. Transit Museum members get a $10 discount. You can snag tickets now on the Transit Museum’s website. 

* This article was originally published here

Just about a year ago, smoke from wildfires in Quebec reached New York City, turning our sky an eerie orange and severely impacting the local air quality. When that happened, New Yorkers were quick to criticize the local government’s response to the issues, specifically arguing that Mayor Eric Adams did not do much to protect the elderly and those suffering from asthma and related maladies.

This year, though, things will be different: given the unfortunate regularity of forest fires in Canada, local officials have set up a plan to deal with potential smoke-related problems more efficiently. 

“It looks like there are a lot of very dry areas of Canada right now,” said Zach Iscol, the Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, in an official statement earlier this week. “That can lead to increased amounts of smoke when you have those types of wildfires.”

Here is the list of the various measures that local officials have put into place to deal with the potentially hazardous situation:

– Distribution of free face masks when air quality issues become apparent.

– During a press conference, Adams announced the installation of a number of cooling centers all around the city that will open as soon as next week. This interactive map will highlight which destinations are open at any given moment.

– The launch of a new technology that will automatically alert schools and outdoor event organizers about dangerous changes in air quality. The new system will supposedly also notify the public about the conditions, urging folks to wear face masks.

* This article was originally published here

Love a good wine bar? How about a top-notch seafood restaurant? You’ll be able to experience both under the same roof when Perle Wine Bar opens next Thursday, June 6, in the West Village. A sister to Marian’s—the New American spot from chef Christian Rowan (Eleven Madison Park, Bouley)—the swanky, seafood-centric newcomer will be an intimate, 12-seat bar located right next door at 22 Greenwich Avenue.

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Pulling inspiration from Europe’s wine bar tradition and seafood culture, the wine list features both Old World and New World wines by the glass and bottle, ranging from traditional varietals, such as Saint Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly (Joseph Colin), to wines from lesser-known regions like southern Italy’s Grillo (Feudo Montoni) and Fiano (Picariello Ciro). Along with highlighting sparkling, white, rosé and chilled red wines—you know, the kind of stuff that goes great with seafood—sommelier Lacey Rozinsky will be pouring a rotating pick from the bar’s magnum selection every weekend, such as a Vincent Paris Syrah or a Julien Sunier Gamay. 

Speaking of seafood, there will be plenty of it: the Rowan’s food menu kicks off with an extensive raw bar that includes East Coast oysters with house-made accompaniments (lemon-nori sorbet, grapefruit-chili sorbet), lobster cocktail, king crab claws, Santa Barbara uni and three selections of caviar. Oceanic small plates include several crudos (scallop with yuzu kosho and pickled strawberry; fluke with fresh wasabi and Korean pear) and toasts: crab with salted cucumber and caviar; sardines with roasted tomatoes and lemon zest; and a lobster roll with apple and fennel. 

Don’t eat fish? You can still sop up all that vino with non-seafood snack options like thin slices of Cinco Jotas Ibérico ham, cheeses with seasonal jams and toast points, and house-made chicken liver mousse with a port gelée.

And in terms of decor, Perle is pretty and petite: along with a 12-seat, walk-in-only marble bar, the room is dressed in floral House of Hackney wallpaper, velvet curtains and brass accents throughout. Get a gander of her, as well as those food-and-drink offerings, below: 

* This article was originally published here

Traditionally, the best ice cream sandwiches in NYC are made of sweet stuff—melty scoops, sugary cookies or doughnut halves, caramel drizzle, the works. But a new version is giving the frozen dessert a surpringly spicy makeover. 

RECOMMENDED: We sent a daring writer out to taste-test the spiciest dishes in NYC

Camari Mick (the Executive Pastry Chef at Michelin-starred The Musket Room and Raf’s) and Jing Gao (the founder of small-batch condiment brand Fly by Jing) have teamed up to create a special limited-edition ice cream sando: a pair of Sichuan honey cookies sandwiched with Chengdu Crunch-swirled smoked Tahitian ice cream. That not-so-basic vanilla ice cream is laced with the condiment brand’s Chengdu-made chili crunch, which is loaded with funky stuff like Sichuan pepper, seaweed powder, shallots, garlic, mushroom powder, fava beans and a variety of seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin), making for a truly savory-sweet dessert experience.

The special-edition ice-cream sandwich will be available for $9 a pop all June long during the new garden happy hour at The Musket Room (265 Elizabeth St), held on Tuesdays through Fridays from 5pm to 6pm in the restaurant’s bloom-filled backyard starting Tuesday, June 4. The treat will join other garden happy hour items including fresh shucked oysters, grilled skewers, and some new warm-weather cocktails, plus specials on by-the-glass wines. Reservations are available via Resy—just choose 5pm outdoors. 

And to celebrate the sandwich launch on June 4, the spice queen herself Jing Gao will also be on hand at The Musket Room’s al fresco happy hour to sign her cookbook, the newly Jamed Beard-nominated The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp: Spicy Recipes and Stories from Fly By Jing’s Kitchen, in case you want to concoct your own spicy-sweet creations at home!

* This article was originally published here

Talk about the city that never sleeps: Diner24 is a new restaurant now open at 283 Third Avenue by 22nd Street in Gramercy that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Clearly an ode to the city’s culinary culture and New Yorkers’ passion for diners, Diner24 is the brainchild of co-founders Stratis Morfogen and Philippe Olivier Bondon.

“I believe in the diner experience,” Bondon said in a statement. “Even as many diners close in the city, going against the trend can be a great opportunity in New York. New York is still a vibrant, 24/7 city.”

As steeped in tradition as the diner is, the co-owners are aware that they are operating a business within the confines of modern society—a fact made most relevant in the diner’s own name. According to its press release, Morfogen came up with the eatery’s moniker after studying search engine optimization best practices. To put it simply, the entrepreneur realized that many locals and New York tourists were often looking for “24-hour diners” on Google.

Hopefully, Diner24 will start topping that list of results, leading to foot traffic to the diner.

As exciting as the hours of operation are, though, the food at Diner24 takes center stage, blending breakfast favorites that will be served all day long—including eggs served any style, a challah vanilla bean French toast, pancakes and more—alongside lunch and dinner options. In the latter menu category, diners will get to order sandwiches, giant smash burgers, salads, pasta dishes, soups and fish entrés, among other entries. A “French onion soup” filet mignon has caught our attention.

And because we’re at a diner, after all, milkshakes are must-orders as well. Specialty cocktails, frozen ones, beer and wine are also on the menu. There is even a happy hour special to be enjoyed daily!

Given the current local state of affairs when it comes to gastronomy, a scene that is drenched with odd culinary creations (have you heard of the croissant/onigiri mashup yet?) and high-end reservations that are always hard to come by, the opening of such an old-school concept is absolutely refreshing. Here’s to hoping that Diner24 will usher us into a new era of dining.

* This article was originally published here