It's going to be a very rainy weekend, New York. Maybe not record-breaking rainy like last weekend, but still, the forecast is pretty ominous.
But isn't there something nice about a rainy, summer weekend? Something sleepy and relaxing? We think so. In fact we're excited for all the great ways the city has to keep us dry and cozy.
Although it could also be nice to do absolutely nothing this weekend (stay inside the apartment and play Scrabble, make big, hot meals, listen to the radio, start a blog, watch movies on Netflix Watch Instantly, open a window and a bottle of wine and look at thunderstorms), if you do decide to venture outside your building and wear something beside pajamas, here are some ideas.
FRIDAY August 19
Where: Word Bookstore, 126 Franklin Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
When: 7PM
Price: Free
Greenpoint's the perfect rainy day neighborhood, tucked away from everything else with great views of the city, it's quiet and intimate--a perfect place to get really vulnerable and share your life story with strangers. Read 10 minutes of your brilliant, burgeoning memoir at WORD bookstore's "JUST WRITING MY MEMOIR" event Friday and win prizes on based on the quality of your writing. Or, you know, just drop by, listen and get tipsy at the open wine bar.
Where: The McKittrick Hotel, 530 W. 27th St., near Tenth Ave
When: Every 15 minutes from 7pm to Midnight. Playing until September 24. Check out calendar and buy tix here.
Price: (Ok, so THIS JUST IN. It's technically sold out Friday. But they do hold onto some Premium Access Tickets that you might be able to get by emailing premiumaccess@sleepnomorenyc.com. No word on how expensive they are, but from the all the reviews we've read, it's probably worth it.)
You've probably heard about it already, but Sleep No More, the amazing immersive theater experience of Shakespeare's Macbeth in the fictional 100,000 square feet and 93 rooms McCkitrick Hotel in Chelsea, (in which you wear a mask and walk in and out of rooms and performances), will be ending in about a month, so start going Friday. And then check it out Saturday and the day after that. It's a new experience every time.
SATURDAY August 20
Where: A movie theater near you.
When: All day.
Price: One movie ticket for however many movies you want to see.
Of course, one of the greatest rainy-day activities is going to the movies. But why just see one movie? Why not make a day of it? See six movies in a row but only pay for one?! This brilliant new website, Movie Madness, will schedule out your magical Day Of Cinema for you. Plug in your zip code or theater of choice, how much time you're willing to miss at the beginning or end of a film and Madness will generate a schedule for you. For example, our day at Regal Cinemas in Union Square has us starting out with Horrible Bosses at 12:09, ducking into Spy Kids at 2, Harry Potter at 3:39, Rise of The Planet of the Apes at 3:39, 30 Minutes Or Less at 7:40 and Conan the Barbarian at 9. That's going to be a lot of popcorn and Buncha Crunch.
Where: A theater near you.
When: A bunch of different times (see listings here).
Price: Depends on show.
Or you could see these things, they're like movies but LIVE. That's right, it's the 15th Annual NYC Fringe Festival, an eclectic mix of cutting edge theater on stages across the city. "New York's Best Staycation" has a tremendous website that lets you navigate its 200 or so odd offerings according to category ("Ride The Roller Coaster Of Love", "Ripped From The Headlines", "In Someone Else's Shoes", "Literary Lane") or by ethnicity. Saturday night we're going to see "The Fucking World According To Molly" in which "Molly “Equality” Dykeman is a poet/security guard at PS 339 and a lovable train wreck who is having her first poetry show. Will bed bugs, Percocet and sissy kids get in her way?" We think not. It's at the Player's Theater at 115 MacDougal Street at 9:15.
SUNDAY August 21
Where: All over the city.
When: Sunday brunch.
Price: Varies
The New York Times did a nifty roundup of some Gotham brunches that offer live music called "Have Your Brunch and Listen To It Too". Get your eggs, bacon, challah french toast, chicken and waffles, grits, baked eggs, coffee, mimosas, bloody mary's and help get over your huge hangover while listening to gospel at Sylvia's in Harlem, some experimental folk at City Winery downtown or bluegrass at Superfine in DUMBO. Check out the great Times article for even more offerings.
BROOKLYN CHOCOLATE AND WINE TOUR
Where: Mast Brothers Chocolate (105A N 3rd Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and Brooklyn Winery (213 N 8th Street)
When: Factory tours from 12-8PM, Brooklyn Winery tour 2-4PM
Price: Chocolate factory tour is $10, Wine prices here.
Have a decadent, little Sunday and enjoy some Williamsburg chocolate and wine. Start off at Mast Brothers Chocolate and take a tour of their impressive factory while sampling dark chocolates made from beans from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Then, when you need to wash the chocolate down, walk a few blocks north to Brooklyn Winery and take a tour of their beautiful winemaking facilities before sitting down and enjoying some of their wines on tap, including the Maiden Riesling and the Brooklyn Nights Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon.