When the temperatures start to dip and New Yorkers begin reaching for their oversized sweaters and trusty black puffer coats, there’s one thing we know for sure: ice skating season has arrived baby! And from Rockefeller Center’s iconic rink (which opens very soon on October 12th) to Industry City’s festive open-air ice rink, and, of course, Wollman Rink at Central Park, one thing’s for certain: New York City sure does know how to give ice skaters what they want. And this season yet another ice skating rink will join NYC’s roster!

The first-ever ice skating rink to open on the Williamsburg waterfront will freeze over this November inside Domino Park’s brand new public plaza, Domino Square. And while we don’t have all the details yet there’s one thing we’re certain about: you won’t want to miss out on shredding up the ice at this rink!

That’s because the rink’s location means it will boast stunning views of the NYC skyline being it’s right on the Williamsburg waterfront. And those views, along with the rink itself, can be enjoyed on even the most frigid of days as, according to a rendering (which looks stunning with the snow-draped trees dispersed throughout the area), it looks like there will be a cute little rinkside hot cocoa stand to help keep you cozy all winter long.

So again, while we don’t have many details regarding the new Williamsburg ice skating rink to share as of yet, we couldn’t contain our excitement with sharing the news with you, and of course we’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more! In the meantime, here are some fabulous things to do in NYC this fall to keep you busy while you wait.

The post The Williamsburg Waterfront Gets Its First-Ever Ice Skating Rink This November appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Believe it or not, we’re already talking about Thanksgiving. But, don’t despair!, this is a fun one: the Bronx Zoo just announced that it will debut a new float in the historic 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year—and it’s going to look super cute!

Dubbed “The Wondrous World of Wildlife,” the new float will honor the zoo’s 125th anniversary, celebrating the venue’s awesome exhibits.

Expect a Russian boreal forest section, compete with an Amur tiger in its natural snow-covered environment; an African savanna portion boasting four different species (giraffes! Zebra! Ostriches! Horbills!); the African rainforest with a grey parrot, a gorilla and an okapi; and odes to the Rainey Memorial Gate and the Zoo Center, two of the most iconic pieces of architecture when analyzing the destination as a whole. 

The Bronx Zoo and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are two iconic New York City institutions that have captured the hearts of visitors from around the globe for generations,” said Jordan Dabby, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade producer, in an official statement. “Every aspect of this float has been carefully crafted to highlight the Bronx Zoo’s commitment to animal care and wildlife conservation and we look forward to welcoming them to the streets of New York this November.”

We expect the parade to be 30 minutes longer than usual, just like last year, so event goers will have all the time they need to ogle at the new float, which, let’s be honest, sounds oh-so-New-York.

* This article was originally published here

Whether you’re a Beatles fanatic or an NYC history buff, you’ll want to hear this!

In case you weren’t aware, John Lennon resided on the Upper West Side for seven years, up until his tragic death in 1980. He lived in the Dakota with his wife, Yoko Ono, where the pair actually owned five units spanning a total of 6,000 square feet. It was this NYC building that actually inspired “Now and Then,” what’s considered the final song ever written by the English rock band.

Lennon originally began writing the song in the 70s while living in the Dakota. He went on to even record a demo there, but the song remained unfinished until its 2023 release. More than a decade after his death, Ono had passed on the unfinished song to her late husband’s former band mate, George Harrison, where it was intended to go on “The Beatles Anthology Project,” an album collection.

“Now and Then” was never finished in time to make the project after McCartney, Harrison and Starr faced technological obstacles in separating Lennon’s vocals and piano, reports New School Free Press. It wasn’t until nearly 30 years later that an AI system was able to aid the remaining band members (McCartney and Starr) in completing the song.

McCartney and Starr did much to contribute to the final track; however, a majority of the lyrics on “Now and Then” came directly from Lennon back when he was living in the Dakota. He had wrote them down years after the band split, and the meaning of the lyrics are still analyzed and debated today.

And though there’s no explicit confirmation that the Dakota was the only source of inspiration to Lennon in his year’s as a resident, environments are commonly considered a crucial impact in a songwriter’s process.

If you want to explore the very building that once housed one of the most famous musicians and visionaries of all time, you can find it at 1 W 72nd Street overlooking Central Park. While you’re in the area, you may as well take a stroll to Strawberry Fields, a memorial to the legend himself.

Curious about other landmark’s that inspired famous songs? This road a five-hour drive from NYC was the inspiration behind John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

The post This NYC Building Inspired The Last Beatles’ Song Ever Written appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here