Happiness is something everyone, everywhere strives for. But with a staggering statistic showing that only 47% of Americans are happy with the way their life is going, we seem to be off course.
A new study from WalletHub analyzed the happiest states in the U.S. and you’ll be surprised to know where New York landed. Results derived from a happiness scale, scored out of 100, using three key factors: emotional & physical well-being, work environment, and community & environment.
The 10 happiest states in the U.S.:
Hawaii
Maryland
New Jersey
Utah
Delaware
Minnesota
Connecticut
Idaho
Nebraska
Massachusetts
So you may be wondering, is New York one of the unhappiest states then? Well, not quite.
Shutterstock / Benoit Daoust
New York ranked as the 23rd happiest state in the U.S, receiving a total happiness score of 52.46. That is a 16.25 difference in happiness score compared to the happiest state, Hawaii. New York ranked nearly last of the states for work environment and community & environment. However, New York ranked seventh for emotional and physical well-being. Plus, New York did rank as the fifth lowest state for the share of adult depression.
The 10 least happy states in the U.S.:
Lousiana
Arkansas
West Virgina
Tennessee
New Mexico
Alaska
Alabama
Oklahoma
Mississippi
Kentucky
Unsplash / Tama Moni
Funny enough, our neighbors (dare we say enemies) over in Jersey somehow managed to rank as the third happiest state in the nation. This is a result of the state’s low insecurity food rate, lowest childhood trauma reports, and second highest life satisfaction. New Jersey also has the third-highest share of households earning over $75,000 per year. At least NYC was named the best city in America!
“In addition to pursuing your passions, having a good work-life balance and maintaining an emotional support network, another key way to boost your happiness is living in the right place. The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and high quality physical and mental health care to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather,” shared WalletHub analyst, Chip Lupo.
Fully immerse yourself in the effortlessly cool vibes of Brooklyn this fall as celebrated artist and long-time tenant of Industry City Michael “Mister Kaves” McLeer has officially unveiled his newest project: an immersive, limited-time museum celebrating the best of Brooklyn!
Dubbed Brooklyn Pop, the museumexplores Brooklyn’s role as a cultural epicenter and its profound influence on popular culture. Visitors will journey through an 11,000-square-foot narrative that is at one a play, a movie, and an art installation, with each detail meticulously crafted to immerse the audience in the spirit of Brooklyn. Among the art installations are replicas of NYC subway cars and stations accompanied by a unique blend of play, film, artifacts, audio, and visual elements.
In short, the museum is a culmination of Kaves’ lifelong passion for capturing the essence of Brooklyn’s cultural influence. He stated:
People know Brooklyn’s a cool place and it has become a brand. I’m going to teach you a little about how it became cool…the blood, the sweat, the tears. To me, Brooklyn rooftops are a religion, and the concrete is a cathedral.
Brooklyn Pop museum is located at Industry City within Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood. And, as Kaves is known to have collaborated with some of the most prestigious brands and institutions already, it’s only fitting that to accompany the exhibition he’s partnered with American headwear brand Bailey 1922 tolaunch a special collection available exclusively at the Brooklyn Pop Exhibit gift shop and online.
Non-partisan organization, HeadCount, is giving one lucky winner a free trip to the Wicked movie premiere and an r.e.m. beauty glam experience! All you have to do to enter for a chance to win? Check your voting status.
To clarify, those who want to participate will not need to explicitly register to vote in order to enter.
Instead, you’ll be prompted online to answer whether you’re good to vote. You can select “check your registration status,” “I’m not registered to vote,” or “get election info for you & friends.” Completing the prompted info after your selection will enter you for a chance to win. Moreover, you’ll be given a custom link after answering that you can use to earn more chances.
Screenshot from HeadCount
Any legal resident of the United States (with exceptions) who is 18 or older is eligible to enter the sweepstakes.
The winner will receive:
Two tickets to the U.S. premiere of Wicked (date & location TBD)
Roundtrip airfare for two
Hotel accommodation for two for up to two nights
Event and makeup styling using r.e.m. products
Sweepstake entry is valid from August 16th through 11:59 pm ET on October 15th. A winner will be selected by an electronic randomizer and notified via email around October 21st.
Wicked Movie
Wicked is set to hit theaters on November 22. The superstar cast includes Ariana Grande (Glinda), Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero Tigelaar), Ethan Slater (Boq), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible) and more! The film is directed by Jon M. Chu, who also worked on Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights. Learn more about the highly-anticipated movie on its website.
Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall in Ancient Egypt?
Horizon of Khufu is coming to NYC in October, uncovering some of the secrets behind this bewildering civilization. The experience will take you on a trip through the incredible necropolis of Giza — the famous site that is home to 3 of Egypt’s most imposing pyramids.
Using precious research collected by Harvard’s Giza Project, Horizon of Khufu presents Ancient Egypt like you’ve never seen before. Mastabas, tombs of monarchs past, the luxuriant flow of the Nile River… you’ll get to experience it all. If you’re tempted to partake in the voyage,join the waitlist to secure your spot before they go on sale on October 3rd!
The journey begins as soon as you put on your VR headset. It’s dawn at the necropolis, and you can see the undulating waters of the Nile, majestic palm trees and the morning’s early birds. But plenty of secrets hide under this mystical landscape…
Thankfully, you’re not the only one who’s carefully screening this ancient land. Accompanied by a virtual guide and other explorers, you take the form of an avatar to navigate through the sand dunes of Giza and uncover its mysteries. Walk through the iconic pyramids of Giza and take in the gigantic Sphinx before attending the funeral of King Khufu, where you’ll experience a true Ancient Egyptian procession at nightfall.
Excurio
Based on Harvard University research
Horizon of Khufu has been thought out for many years. With the help of Professor Peter Der Manuelian and his team at Harvard, the virtual reality voyage recreates Ancient Egypt as accurately as possible. Every costume, landscape and cultural rites are how they were in 3000 B.C. — plunging you deeper into the time period.
If you’ve dreamed of scouring Ancient Egyptian lands, this journey heading to NYC is made for you. Previous attendees have loved the immersive experience, like these Atlanta visitors:
It was a interesting, educational and fun experience!! It was so much more than I expected. What an exciting trip through ancient Egypt! — Joe S.
This was an amazing experience. I’m so glad I was able to walk through history. — Candace B.
This was so much fun! Never having done anything VR before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We had a blast. and will probably do it again soon!! — Melinda H.
Like them, walk through the steps of ancient pharaohs and (re)discover the poignant Egyptian history unlike you ever have before.
Over the last 12 months New York Times reporters and editors have been eating their way all across the country, digging into everything from hyperlocal dishes served out of a trailer in rural Virginia to Creole fare served in a strip mall down the road from NASA in Texas, on their annual hunt for the best restaurants in America. And we already know there’s no list without NYC.
Of the 50 restaurants that made the cut, 32 are new and have opened since the 2023 list was created. But, of course, the list also features a number of longstanding restaurants that are no strangers to the list. And of the 50, four are New York City’s very own restaurants! The four NYC restaurants among the 50 best in the U.S. are as follows:
Those who dine at Blanca will be treated to Michelin Star, upscale New American tasting menus in a small, reservation-only loft space with an open kitchen. After closing at the start of the pandemic Blanca reopened mid-January 2024 with Victoria Blamey helming the kitchen.
NYT food critic Pete Wells stated:
Blanca, in Brooklyn, is the closest thing you’ll find to an avant-garde restaurant among New York’s tasting counters, most of which seem to make a religion of playing it safe. Not that Victoria Blamey’s cooking is particularly experimental or confrontational, but it is complex and, at times, challenging…Blanca will fill your head with strong flavors in ways that other places charging these prices seem afraid to do.
Tasting Menu
261 Moore St.
Penny
Source / Teddy Wolff
Penny is a raw bar and seafood counter in New York City’s East Village from the duo behind Claud (Penny is located just up the stairs from Claud in the same building). Take a seat at the seemingly endless white marble counter as you dig into dish after dish of insanely fresh seafood.
Pete Wells stated:
The section up front is the raw bar, where fresh oysters and clams are popped open; pink sheets of tuna are dressed with cipollini onions and olive oil; and the best shrimp cocktail you’re likely to find in New York is arranged over trays of ice. The far end of the counter is where the cooking happens. Squid bodies filled with tuna and chard are carefully grilled over charcoal, and tall golden columns of puff pastry are set on top of steaming bowls of oyster pan roast.
Shaw-nae’s House is an intimate dining experience beloved for its soul-stirring dishes served with love. The seasonal menu is the brainchild of American Chef and Food Alchemist Shaw-naé Dixon who infuses herbs grown on-site, local produce, and even CBD into her creations.
Pete Wells stated:
The soul food at Shaw-naé’s House…is as high-spirited as the six-table dining room, where customers invariably skip the short wine list in favor of a house rum punch or a pitcher of sangria. Almost every dish is a party in its own right…Shaw-naé Dixon, the chef and owner, got her start in catering for movie shoots, and she still knows how to lay out a spread that can excite a crowd.
Soul Food
379 Van Duzer St., Staten Island
Bungalow
Brianna Perry / Secret NYC
We had the pleasure of dining at Bungalow ourselves where Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna is cooking up absolutely mind blowing dishes. The Banarasi Puri, Yogurt Kababs, Chicken Amrit, Spice Roasted Pineapple, and Garlic Naan were some of our favorites–along with all of their desserts, of course–though we’ve been dreaming about going back ever since to try what else the menu has to offer!
Priya Krishna stated:
What happens when Indian food stops trying to cater to a white audience and finally gets to be itself? You get Bungalow, a for-us-by-us restaurant, where the chef Vikas Khanna weaves ambitiously through India’s lesser-known regional dishes, putting personal, creative spins on each…Mr. Khanna is one of the most famous Indian chefs in the world, and each night he strolls through the dining room to pose for selfies and sign cookbooks. But the boldness of these flavors shows he’s so much more than his celebrity charm.
Indian
24 1st Ave.
For context, the NYT reporters and editors visit unannounced, pay for all of their meals, and either use regular reservation booking tools or walk right in, so there’s no bias when it comes to creating this list. The full list can be found on New York Times’ website.
After a couple of weeks of dry weather and beautiful, perfect fall-like days, New Yorkers should brace themselves for a bit of rain: forecasters are expecting a hefty amount of showers today through Sunday—with a bit of respite tomorrow, Friday.
According to The Weather Channel, city dwellers should carry an umbrella all day long today, with the chance of precipitation “off and on” overnight as well. Tomorrow, although cloudy and chilly, is looking pretty dry. On Saturday, though, temperatures will likely fall to the low 60s, with the chance of showers climbing up to 50%. Things are looking more or less the same on Sunday as well.
As annoying as that sounds, the conditions make for the perfect weekend to sit at home, order some take out and binge-watch the much-anticipated new Netflix rom-com show Nobody Wants This, starring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell.
But if a bit of water doesn’t scare you (a true New Yorker!), consider consulting our guide to the best things to do in New York on a rainy day and our list of top bars with fireplaces—because there’s nothing quite like sipping a Manhattan in front of a crackling fire while it is pouring outside.
Dare we say it? Happy fall—and almost winter—New York!
Top of the Rock continues on its quest to conquer the city’s skyline with a new ride called Skylift that will allow guests to soar nearly 900 feet in the air above street level.
Officially debuting on October 1, Skylift is built at the Top of the Rock observation deck, on the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. As seen in the renderings, the ride is basically a revolving, open-air platform that stands about three stories taller than the topmost floor of 30 Rock.
“Once elevated, the platform will continue to turn for a 360-degree experience and a panoramic photo moment, creating a thrilling sensation of floating among skyscrapers,” reads an official press release.
Rendering: Courtesy of Tishman Speyer
Designed to mimic Rock Center’s classic art deco architecture, the platform features marble-like tiers that are perfectly complemented by the 96 LED pixel flutes that “cast a magical light show that can be seen across the city skyline […] day or night and can be customized to commemorate notable dates and holidays.”
Although you’ll be itching to grab your phone while floating above the ground, we suggest putting the device away—tickets, which start at $35 each right here, include a video of each guest at the pinnacle of the ride, anyway!
Rendering: Courtesy of Tishman Speyer
In addition to offering New Yorkers and tourists alike the chance to unobstructedly glimpse at the city from above, the new gimmick has led to one of the funniest social media exchanges we’ve seen on the Internet in the past few weeks.
Responding to Rockefeller Center’s Skylift announcement on X, the Empire State Building—a “competing” skyscraper—wrote: “Imagine paying to be turned into a rotisserie chicken.”
New York City’s iconic buildings are fighting—and we’re absolutely here for it.
Industry City Building 2 – 254 36th St.
Wednesday – Sunday, now through December 28, 2024
12 pm – 6 pm
Tasting Menu
