Joann Jovinelly is an award-winning author, book editor, blogger, and editorial consultant.
New Yorkers have long been fascinated by portable confections, but none have seduced them as well as the cupcake, the mu... [more]
Growing herbs and using them to prepare meals is among the most rewarding relationships you can forge with gardening. Yo... [more]
This year, the New York Public Library (NYPL) celebrates its centennial birthday, having been erected in 1911 after the ... [more]
Soup is nutritious, easy to prepare, and economical. The problem with soup is that it's so often associated with mediocr... [more]
No matter your skill level or artistic ability, there's nothing quite as heartfelt as a homemade card to express your lo... [more]
Paris may be the City of Lights, but it can't hold a candle to New York when it comes to romance. New York is amazing, e... [more]
The Brick, Brooklyn's answer to experimental theater, has more than a few laughs in store for the month of September. Al... [more]
The Brooklyn Bowl is no ordinary bowling alley; in fact, few of the people who visit the vast former ironworks factory g... [more]
For a fun, laid-back New York experience, try a stroll through historic City Hall Park and its immediate environs, inclu... [more]
People might tell you that the best egg creams can be found in Manhattan, but we disagree. New York's most amazingly smo... [more]
Internationally renowned abstract expressionist sculptor Mark di Suvero is currently showing more than ten of his large ... [more]
Now in its fourth year, the New York City Department of Transportation's unique program, Summer Streets, is back and bet... [more]
There is a growing fascination for exhibits that showcase private writing and drawings, offering a limited glance inside... [more]
New York's slow food movement has rightly made itself perfectly at home in Brooklyn, especially at Colonie, where warm a... [more]
Coppelia, a new 24-hour restaurant/diner in Chelsea, was named after a popular ice cream shop in Havana, and its atmosph... [more]
It's time for a history lesson. Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, when the New York video performance art scene was fir... [more]
Take a selection of high-quality ingredients, mix them with a talented chef, a tiny kitchen on wheels, and eight million... [more]
New York's food lovers are enjoying a bit of a Renaissance this year. In addition to our wonderful and expanding collect... [more]
If you've ever wanted to rock out to Gene Simmons or David Bowie over dinner, then look no further than Rockography, a n... [more]
Bingo, spelling bees, and now trivia nights—it appears as though a great segment of the populace enjoys a little friendl... [more]
New Yorkers have come to know Chelsea as the must-see neighborhood for contemporary art, but the Lower East Side has for... [more]
The current buzz in the contemporary art world is about making work by emerging artists both available and affordable to... [more]
The High Line, New York City's only elevated park, has become its greatest success story. More than a decade and $153 mi... [more]
With Japan fresh in the hearts and minds of all New Yorkers—as well as the world's—now is a wonderful time to immerse yo... [more]
Shake off old man winter at Macy's 37th annual indoor flower show, which turns the beloved department store into a flora... [more]
Last year, New York Fashion Week was literally stopped in its tracks at the unexpected announcement of British designer ... [more]
May is bike month in New York City and the 31-day celebration kicks off with the 2011 TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, now i... [more]
New Yorkers are spoiled. Over the past few decades, we have enjoyed extensive access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and mea... [more]
The 1980s clothing designs of Vivienne Westwood, fashion trendsetter and the mistress who made punk palatable, are curre... [more]
On August 24 in AD 79, the ancient Roman resort city of Pompeii completely disappeared from view. A series of eruptions ... [more]
Long before the Palladium became an NYU dorm and the legendary Limelight Nightclub resurrected itself as a high-end mall... [more]
Witnessing a full floor of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) devoted entirely to the subject of 1950s Abstract Expressioni... [more]
Have you ever wanted to be a part of a studio audience to support one of New York City's many television shows? The proc... [more]
The New York Public Library is a wonderful resource for all New Yorkers. Not only does the institution provide an amazin... [more]
Punk poetess Patti Smith, rock-and-roll icon, artist, activist, and writer, is reading at a performance of the Poetry Pr... [more]
Though your favorites might still be the ones playing on your big screen TV at home, there are still a few options for l... [more]
A century ago, Charities Pier at the end of Twenty-sixth Street by the Hudson River was called Misery Lane since it was ... [more]
Drawing, like riding a bicycle, is a skill that never wanes. However, if you want to brush up on your hand and eye coord... [more]
Even though it's mighty cold outside, you needn't hibernate. That's why the weekly family crafts program at the Charles ... [more]
Most New Yorkers know about Housing Works Thrift Shop, the organization that has been helping homeless New Yorkers who ... [more]
Those captivated by New York City's immigrant experience will be interested in the vast and detailed history that can be... [more]
Few lives have had the impact of the magician Harry Houdini, who, even 80 years after his death, is still the inspiratio... [more]
Who among us hasn't watched that scene in the film Ghost where Demi Moore is slathered in wet clay at a potter's wheel w... [more]
The next time you'd like to head out in search of New York's outer borough delights, consider Brooklyn's Red Hook neighb... [more]
As the saying goes, one person's trash is another's treasure. So, whether your holiday left you with a bunch of unwanted... [more]
With the holiday here, you're likely either filled with bliss or blinded by depression. This year, why not skip watching... [more]
Consider yourself lucky if you're staying in the city over the holiday break. As most New Yorkers already know, seeing t... [more]
Suddenly the holidays are here and you haven't yet had a chance to take part in the festivities. Fear not. There is stil... [more]
Presentation is everything, especially when it comes to delivering the perfect holiday gifts. Instead of searching for s... [more]
Few people know that Beatrice Alexander Behrman, founder of the Madame Alexander Doll Company, was a daughter of Russian... [more]
It's no surprise that many Christmas traditions can be traced back to New York, beginning first with the Dutch settlers ... [more]
Some people appreciate Warhol for his wry wit, others for his irony. His work has been critiqued, dissected, obsessed ov... [more]
Knitting and crocheting are not just pastimes of the aged anymore. In fact, if you look around, you'll probably notice s... [more]
Every season the team of designers and artists behind the elaborate window displays at Bergdorf Goodman do the impossibl... [more]
Grab your list and head to the seventh-annual Columbus Circle Holiday Market where dozens of independent vendors have se... [more]
Billing itself as New York's "better" cupcake, the East Village's very own Butter Lane has recently moved to a new expan... [more]
Ask anyone and they'll tell you that New York City looks best when dressed for the holidays. The temperatures might be d... [more]
Since the late 1990s, retailers have seen consistent profits emerge from trendy and temporary pop-up stores, especially ... [more]
Upon entering the beautiful and breathtakingly colorful store, Beads of Paradise, you might think you need a passport. C... [more]
Calling all geeks, freaks, and closet collectors: The Secret Science Club is hosting its fifth-annual Carnivorous Nights... [more]
Some moments in New York City are magical, like when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus elephants emerge from... [more]
Thanksgiving is a time to draw people together to savor new tastes and the season's best flavors. Few opportunities to d... [more]
New York street art is at once largely anonymous and enormously popular. It is also illegal, which is perhaps why it kee... [more]
Bring in the winter holiday season a little early during the 11th annual Winter's Eve Celebration, an evening jam-packed... [more]
Bryant Park, the European-styled parcel of land in midtown just off Sixth Avenue and 42nd street has always been signifi... [more]
Treat yourself to the 13th Annual New York Chocolate Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion, a four-day festival of all thing... [more]
Provided the temperature isn't freezing, any time of the year is perfect for eating outdoors. Besides being entertaining... [more]
These days, everyone aspires to be famous. In between our addiction to technology and our never-ending Twitter banter, e... [more]
Nestled on the Jersey Shore directly between Asbury Park and Bradley Beach is the tiny square-mile hamlet of Ocean Grove... [more]
Kombucha tea is a fermented sweetened tea that is often mixed with traditional black tea and drunk for medicinal purpose... [more]
Finding interesting things to do with children takes more than a little hocus-pocus, so if your charges need a break fro... [more]
Pack up the kids and head downtown to the World Financial Center on Saturday, October 30, for Screamin' Green Halloween,... [more]
Before you throw out your old working toaster for a spiffy new model, consider donating it to the Brooklyn Free Store, t... [more]
Halloween, the annual celebration of all things ghastly and ghostly, is rooted in Celtic tradition—namely the festival o... [more]
Around the time of the Civil War, Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery, a national historic landmark, attracted as many visito... [more]
Be afraid. Cling to loved ones. Try to block out those blood-curdling screams. And run, fast.
It seems that New York... [more]
Fuji. Braeburn. McIntosh. Macoun. All are delicious varieties of the ever-humble apple, now ripening across the orchards... [more]
New Yorkers love the Muppets. After all, the Henson characters have been identified with the city for most of their live... [more]
With the New Year upon us—and a new decade—many will spend this holiday reflecting on the past and looking forward to 20... [more]
Just before midnight on March 22, midtown Manhattan will again witness New York's annual march of circus elephants. Seve... [more]
Now that Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Gomez have made it back from Hollywood to the Great White Way, take an aftern... [more]
The late writer and activist Jane Jacobs, largely remembered for her love of New York City's Greenwich Village, asserted... [more]
Every other year since the 1970s, the Whitney Museum has staged its sampling of the world's most up-and-coming, most exp... [more]
Baby it's cold outside! That's the perfect time to scan the skies in New York. Okay, so you can't observe any celestial ... [more]
Photography buffs and architecture and design enthusiasts who clamor for the chance to shoot some of New York City's mos... [more]
Should your spirits need lifting this winter, look no further than the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Not only among ... [more]
Ping pong—it's like tennis for hipsters. Besides, little else beats the wintertime blahs than filling your social calend... [more]
Nestled in the Bronx at the New York Botanical Garden is a holiday tradition that's been "growing" for nearly 20 years. ... [more]
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Just ask Molly Crabapple, founder of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. In 2005, ... [more]
Gone are the days of typical children's parties that revolved around pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and a sheet cake. Today'... [more]
If your Halloween costume is hanging by a thread and you're fresh out of ideas with the season of ghosts nearly upon us,... [more]
Despite the challenging economic climate, artist collective ABC No Rio has cause to celebrate. Thanks, in part, to Manha... [more]
Forget everything you've ever thought about bingo. With gender bender Murray Hill and Linda Simpson taking over Le Poiss... [more]
So you say that cupid struck out this Valentine's Day? No matter. Whether you're ecstatic or miserable, all is right wit... [more]
If keeping an aquarium isn't your thing and the thought of rushing down the stairs of your fifth-floor walk up with a pu... [more]
Little can eclipse the elegance of the Plaza Hotel, New York's premiere and perhaps most storied address. At just over a... [more]
The Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the preservation of medieval art and architectu... [more]
Long before the East Village was punk in the 1970s and famous for CBGB, the Mudd Club, and riots in Tompkins Square Park... [more]
When it comes to food, New Yorkers are trendsetters as much as they are trend seekers. After all, we elevated the cupcak... [more]
One of New York's best-kept secrets is the First Saturday celebration of art and culture at Brooklyn Museum. Thousands t... [more]
Few people remember the "victory" gardens of World War II, but during that era of food rationing, Americans grew 40 perc... [more]
A reliquary, or a container for sacred and precious objects, is a term that originated in medieval France. At that time,... [more]
Taraxacum officinale—check. Brassica juncea—check. Stellaria media—check. Those official-sounding scientific names ident... [more]
More than just inspirational, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit, "Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans," tell... [more]
Third Ward. The name is enough to conjure images of ink dark Rorschach patterns, but don't let it scare you. Third Ward ... [more]
Governor's Island is New York City's biggest ongoing art project. Every spring the island opens to the public for a glor... [more]
Long before equally resplendent glass towers and designer fashions flanked the Bowery, it was known as the slum of Manha... [more]
Few destination spots combine cool public space with a healthy dose of art, architecture, and cheap eats, but that's exa... [more]
Now that the groundhog has seen his shadow, those in the know claim that spring is just weeks away. With the warm weathe... [more]
Who hasn't wandered around New York City and wondered about the riches of its past? Grand Central Terminal, one of the c... [more]
The recently opened Limelight Marketplace, housed within the land-marked nineteenth-century church-turned-nightclub, is ... [more]
With winter beckoning, your thoughts are likely focused on gathering with loved ones to recreate the annual eat-until-yo... [more]
Who by now hasn't been intrigued by James Surowiecki's theories in The Wisdom of Crowds? The idea that the collective in... [more]
What famous New York cultural institution began in 1859 with donations from fellow New Yorkers and has since been twice ... [more]
New Yorkers are famous for taking it to the streets. Pillow fights. Zombie hordes. Group improvisation. There's little w... [more]
Ever wish you could dodge the chain stores during the holiday season? More and more people are embracing that idea and l... [more]
What started as an attempt to earn rent money by New York Expressionists and Greenwich Village neighbors Jackson Pollock... [more]
If you've got a few hours to kill and nowhere in particular to be, there is no place like New York City. Wandering aroun... [more]
Once upon a time, one of the city's best-kept rewards awaited your arrival if you hoofed across the Brooklyn Bridge from... [more]
Want to score some bohemian bracelets, a dog-eared copy of Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, some ironic stencil art, a funky... [more]
Ironically, Union Square was not named for being the center of the Labor Rights Movement, but for the intersection of Br... [more]
Survey any New Yorker and he or she is bound to have a soft spot for Central Park, 800-plus acres of wonderland that sit... [more]
Whether you're young or just young at heart, few sights capture the spirit of the season quite like a tour of New York C... [more]
Years ago, the non-profit group Earth Celebrations hosted a biannual festival that turned tree hugging face-painted hipp... [more]
The Brooklyn Navy Yard, now a thriving industrial park in an intriguingly historical setting, is among New York City's m... [more]
New York's most eclectic neighborhood is now its most artful. Chelsea, formerly known as the meatpacking district, is lo... [more]
With so much emphasis placed on giving the perfect gift this season, it's wonderful to purchase something handmade—give ... [more]
If the idea of hosting a weekend cocktail party sounds more like the recipe for creating a perfect storm, read on. Learn... [more]
Nothing is as satisfying as serving a variety of homemade goodies for friends and family so it's too bad so few of us ac... [more]
The dead talk back. Just ask Drew Raphael, founder of Dead Apple Tours, Manhattan's newest professionally guided tour of... [more]