The 39 best classes in NYC for 2024

If there is one skill that will benefit nearly everyone to know, it is how to cook a meal at home. Whether you are looking to improve your health and nutrition, save money on carry-out or just impress prospective partners with your cooking skills, it pays to know your way around a kitchen. In these classes, you’ll learn skills like the basics of cutting meat and vegetables, roasting and blanching foods and preparing pan sauces. By the end of one of these courses, you’ll have made a complete meal, including menu items such as roasted chicken, potato and vegetables. You can also enroll in specialized classes like pasta-making, pizza making or sushi making for a more focused culinary education.

If the internet has demonstrated anything over the years, it is that people love the idea of elaborately decorated cakes. If you want to become a part of this trend and gain your own online following (or you just want to make desserts that look nice), you can enroll in a dedicated cake decorating class at the NY Cake Academy. You’ll learn crumb-coating, piping techniques and how to work with buttercream, as well as decorating techniques themed to the specific course (perhaps how to make a cake look like a Thanksgiving turkey or how to make cookies for Christmas). Learning how to decorate desserts is an easy and fun way to create impressive baked goods for your next event and it is a unique chance to be creative with your food.

Craftsman Avenue is another school that offers a really impressive range of classes but we had a lot of fun making our own little stained-glass masterpiece. Here you’ll learn the intricacies of this centuries-old art, before walking away with your very own, totally unique piece. And the best bit? It’s not that hard to create something very beautiful indeed. Lots of fun.

If you are looking for a promotion or to make a career change, learning new, in-demand professional skills is essential. Noble Desktop offers career-focused training courses in a range of different tech skills, including graphic design, software engineering, data science, business and digital marketing. Whether you are looking to learn the basics of Photoshop, Python, SQL or Excel in an introductory, hands-on course or you want to spend a few months in an immersive coding bootcamp, Noble Desktop has the tech class that fits your needs. Their programs aim to help students become job ready by graduation and many of the classes offer career-support services to help students with the practical aspects of starting a career change. All classes include detailed support materials and a free retake within one year.

The 92nd Street Y is one of New York’s oldest and most community centers, having spent over 140 years opening their doors to, in their words, harness the power of arts and ideas to enrich lives and the power of community to repair the world. They offer beginner and advanced courses in everything from painting and salsa dancing to machine sewing, wax carving and Israeli folk dancing. In addition to their over 4,000 different courses offered at various points during the year, they also put on innovative educational programs, community building events and concerts for members and visitors. Regardless of what skills you are looking to learn, it is likely that the 92nd Street Y will have an offering for you.

Do you dream of seeing your name in lights? Landing a big role in a major Hollywood production? Having an Oscar speech cut short to make room for an unfunny Jimmy Fallon bit? If this sounds perfect, then you should consider enrolling in this film and television acting course. You’ll learn basic strategies for the kind of preparatory work that professional actors undertake before starting a role, scene study techniques to help develop greater depth in your performance and industry tricks for navigating the process of auditioning and landing roles.

Make your space even more comfortable! Find the Thread, an upholstery company based in Brooklyn just launched a pillow-making workshop. For three hours at $115 per person, it is a challenging but low-stakes, fun night out for friends looking to expand their skills (and pillow collection). The class provides wine and cheese as well as all the materials needed to craft the perfect project: fabric, zippers, synthetic down inserts and industrial-grade machines. The founder walks you through making the simple pattern for each throw pillow using a ruler and pencil, how to use the serger machine to keep fabric ends from fraying and the sewing machine to fuse them together and how to add an “invisible zipper.” You can sign up for Find The Thread’s monthly pillow-making class at findthethread.com. 

Always wanted to learn Spanish? Visiting Rome next year and want to learn the basics of conversation? Company recently began doing a lot of business in Korea? There are many reasons to learn a foreign language and at ABC Languages, you can get practical, conversational training in everything from Arabic to Vietnamese. These classes are taught by expert instructors who have years of language experience and are open to complete beginners or skilled speakers looking to improve their fluency.

PhotoUno offers hands-on digital photography courses that are perfect for students of all skill levels. They have courses for students who are just learning their way around a digital camera, but they also offer courses for students looking to take their photography hobby and turn it into a career with practical studio photography classes. These courses aim to provide students with all of the skills training they need to go from taking the occasional snapshot with their phone cameras to real, hobbyist digital photographers working with the latest in modern camera technology.

You don't have to contour your full face (a la Kim Kardashian West) to look polished: It's all about creating a manageable makeup routine that works for you. This one-on-one session for aspiring makeup artists will help you take your skills to the next level, whether you've never applied mascara before or know your way around a strobing kit. With more than 10 years of experience in industry, instructor Shara Strand knows all the tricks of the trade. 

Learning a practical skill like sewing can pay a lot of dividends in the long term (or, more accurately, save you a lot of money on clothing repairs and alterations). These courses will help you find your way around a sewing machine and make simple stitches, alterations and seams using the most common types of machines. You’ll also learn common hand-stitching practices, making this a good course for students looking to learn a range of practical skills that they can put to use around the house. By the end of the course, you’ll understand how to work with a commercial pattern and you’ll be ready for more advanced sewing classes.

Come on, it’s cheese. Who doesn’t want to know everything there is about cheese? You’re definitely in the right place here, because there’s really nothing these guys don’t know about cheese. Each of the classes is as excellent as the cheese you’ll get to enjoy but if you want our top pick? It’s got to be the ‘Cheese 101’ class, because there aren’t many better ways to spend your time than being walked through seven gourmet cheeses alongside unlimited pours of perfectly matched red and sparkling wines. Heads-up though: it’s hugely popular, so if you can’t get a seat there then we can absolutely recommend the burrata and mozzarella making classes. Keep an eye out too for some awesome seasonal classes, especially around the holidays.

Want to learn how to create a perfect accessory to match your favorite ensemble, a great handmade gift or a trinket to sell online or at craft shows? In this course, you can learn the art of metalsmithing with a focus in jewelry design. You’ll learn to make your own rings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches using copper, silver and gold. Professional instructors will guide you through the process of designing, soldering, setting and finishing your own perfect piece of jewelry and you’ll learn where you can get the tools and supplies to start making more elaborate pieces.

If you’re tired of going out to the bar every weekend, but you still want to have fun, socialize and maybe have a bit to drink, consider enrolling in a paint and sip course. This low-stakes art experience will see you working on a pre-sketched canvas and working with a range of different colors as you bring the image to life (while getting a bit of help from an experienced painter. These events are laid back, easy-going and a great way to meet new people or to spend a weekend evening with family or friends.

Want to learn your way around a kitchen knife, but worried that you are more likely to julienne your fingertips than your onions? Miette has a class to help you become comfortable using kitchen knives to cut all manners of vegetables and meat. You’ll learn how to slice, dice, chop, julienne, filet and debone as you prepare a real meal to enjoy at the end of the course (Tomato Bruschetta, Roasted Chicken with carrots and parsnips and Roasted Potatoes with caramelized onions and charred peppers).

A DSLR camera won’t do you much good if you can’t figure out how to get out of auto mode. Gain a better understanding of how to use your camera's settings to snap truly stunning photographs in this hands-on class at the Art of Intuitive Photography. You’ll also learn basic principles of photography such as white balance, shutter speed and depth of field. Before you know it, you'll be snapping totally Instagrammable shots.

Want to find a fun and enjoyable alternative to dinner and a movie for date night? Why not make dinner in this fun and fast-paced cooking course. Bring your own beer or wine and hand make sushi and dumplings for dinner in this Taste Buds Kitchen course. You’ll learn how to prepare sushi rice, build the rolls using your choice of ingredients (vegetarian and vegan options are available if you won’t, or just don’t want to, eat raw fish), and prepare the dough for hand-rolled dumplings. At the end of the class, you’ll have a complete meal that you can enjoy together and that you can make again when the time feels right.

There’s an incredible range of classes at this iconic New York institution. From flower arranging and soapmaking workshops to introductions to landscape design and incense classes, this is your go-to place for creating magic from the world around us. Seriously, there’s so much on offer here. Want to keep some bees? They can help there. Interested in using a chainsaw correctly? Yep, that too. Want to make some baskets out of pine bark? No problem. You can even just head down for a Tai Chi class if that’s what you’re looking for. All, highly recommended.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “self, I’d like a Negroni right about now, but I don’t want to drive to a bar and pay for one,” then you’re in luck, because you can enroll in this beginner-friendly mixology course and learn the art of making your own drinks at home. In this class, an experienced bartender will show you how to make classic cocktails with a modern twist and will teach you the science that goes into mixology, giving you the chance to start experimenting with your own custom cocktails. The menu rotates, but some common drinks included in this class include Martinis, Margaritas and Old Fashioneds.

A Brooklyn fixture for over 100 years, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is the largest and oldest botanic gardens in the United States. Home to thousands of kinds of plants, it is an ideal spot for a day-trip or even a vacation. They also offer a wide range of classes, ranging from kids courses aimed at helping them learn about nature to adult-oriented classes teaching practical skills. In addition to learning about horticulture and plant upkeep (for aspiring home gardeners) they also offer art class themed around the many beautiful vistas of the gardens, cooking courses, wellness and mindfulness classes and even professional horticulture certificate programs. If you are looking to learn new things while visiting one of the most beautiful sites in New York City, you should check out the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

There are numerous reasons to take an improv class. In addition to learning how to be funny (and potentially become a performer), these classes can help you become better at thinking on your feet, better at performing in public and more sociable. In this introductory six-week course, you’ll learn the basics of improv performance (both solo and group performance) and you’ll spend time building a report with other members of the class. You will focus on collaborative scene work and you’ll get a chance to just have fun playing games and trying to impress your fellow students and make everyone laugh.

Drawing is a relaxing activity that is essential to almost every kind of art, since you will want to learn how to sketch out your projects in advance. Not only that, but drawing is a respected art form in and of itself and one that you can transform into a side hustle if you are interested in working for commissions. In this introductory drawing class, you’ll learn the basics of sketching and the fundamentals of art, including line, shape, shadow, and perspective. You’ll get hands-on experience with various drawing techniques and an experienced art instructor will provide you with guidance and feedback. By the end of this class, you’ll be comfortable enough with your drawing skills to start taking more specialized art classes or just hone your drawing skill with more practice.

Being handy and learning how to do repairs and carpentry is an admirable skill that no one has ever been unhappy to learn. In this carpentry course, you’ll learn how to make your own, usable side table in only a few short hours. You’ll enter the class with a few pieces of oak and, after some guided instruction, safety-advice and step-by-step hands-on work, you’ll leave with a functional side-table designed to your exact specifications. This course is designed with beginners in mind and is a perfect opportunity to learn the basics of woodworking and carpentry.

There is a certain je n’ais sais quoi to a perfectly baked croissant and you may want to learn how to recreate this flaky treat in your own kitchen. While croissants can be intimidating at first, with a little guidance and a lot of practice, you can create traditional buttery croissants, rich chocolate au pain and even savory ham and cheese croissants (a breakfast sandwich in a single pastry). Your breakfasts and dinners will never be the same once you finish this hands-on cooking experience.

Get ready to do your best Patrick Swazye impression as you learn the art and science of pottery in a one day wheel throwing class. In this course, you’ll get hands-on experience working with wet clay and learning how it can be shaped and molded into pots, bowls and planters. You’ll also learn how to create stunning designs and patterns in the clay as it is being worked. Once you are done, Choplet will glaze and fire your clay for you and you can pick it up in 3-4 weeks.

Bitters & Esters not only serves as a shop where hops heads can load up on malts, grains and equipment, but also doubles as a classroom, offering weekly instruction on DIY suds. Learn the basics of at-home brewing in their popular introductory workshop before moving onto specialized classes in hops tasting, beer recipe writing and all-grain brewing. 

It can be easy to under-estimate how important good writing skills are to a range of different professional positions. While you may not be writing essays or poems, you do need to write things like reports, memos, white papers, proposals and even grants. In this course, students will learn the basic rules of professional grammar, strategies for word choice, sentence structure and audience identification and rhetorical tools to help make their writing more persuasive and informative. By the end of this course, your writing will be crisp, deliberate and make exactly the impression (first or otherwise) that you intend it to make.

Excel may be the most universally useful computer program you can learn. Regardless of whether you are a data analyst looking to compare and compile 10s of the thousands of lines of data or a teacher who wants to make their gradebooks and attendance sheets easier to organize, learning Excel can pay-off in the long-term. In this Excel Bootcamp, you’ll learn to go from Excel novice to professional in only a few class meetings. Even if you don’t know how to fill a cell at the start of the class, you’ll leave understanding how to use complex functions, PivotTables and even VLOOKUP.

Ever wanted to craft your very own diamond ring? If so, the excellent Ayaka Nishi Jewelry Design School can make your dream a reality. You’ll get expert intro tuition on all things jewelry, before embarking on the design and creation of your very own ring, complete with set diamond. And if you want to engrave it for a special someone? You can totally do that, too.

Knowing how to wield a knife safely and effectively is one of the most important skills for any home cook. Not only is it a genuine pleasure to use knives like the pros do, it’s also, you know, helpful to know how not to take the tip of your finger off. With these awesome classes you’ll learn to slice, dice, chop, mince and julienne your way through all kinds of recipes. You’ll even learn the best ways to sharpen and care for your knives at home. Very handy.

Floral design is an oft overlooked artform, but it is a big business that can reward creatives and open a lot of opportunities for anyone practiced in it. Weddings, Birthdays and other special events all call for flower design artists and people regularly buy artisan, hand-crafted arrangements for anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. In one of these classes, you will learn the art of proper flower arrangement and the school offers various a range of courses for students seeking to pursue flower arranging in a professional context. Their introductory course provides students with a sampling of the basics of floral design and their advanced classes are aimed at helping students build the skills and portfolio they need to start working as professional florists.

Almost every professional field is being disrupted by the emerging revolution in data analytics accessibility. No matter what you do, there is a good chance that your work can be improved with a little knowledge of how to work with large amounts of digital data and learning SQL is a great step in this process. SQL is the programming language most commonly associated with databases (organizing and querying data) and it is among the most accessible languages to learn for novice programmers. In this SQL Bootcamp, you’ll learn your way around a database and set yourself for long term success in any project that involves data.

The General Assembly is a great place to head to for all kinds of classes (we like the public speaking courses, and the social media bootcamps) but this programming class is really solid. It’s a four-hour workshop where you’ll get the lowdown on several different programming languages, learn basic web development lingo and try your hand at HTML and CSS coding. So if your personal website is looking a little too much like all the other online portfolios, or you just want a route into a field that even now is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives, this class is for you.

To stay ahead in the modern business world, you need to know how to work with data. Companies are leveraging massive data collection and analysis projects to make informed decisions about their long-term health. If you want to get in on the ground floor of this exciting field, you should consider enrolling in a focused Python training program. Python is an accessible first programming language for novices and a very useful part of a seasoned developers toolkit. You’ll learn how to scrap, organize and analyze datasets using Python and how to manage large databases.

If you want to hone your creative skills while also developing professional skills, you should consider enrolling in a course like Noble Desktop’s Graphic Design Certificate program. In this course, you’ll get hands-on training working with industry-standard graphic design tools, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. You’ll spend time creating your own sample projects that can be added to your professional design portfolio and you’ll get focused one-on-one career mentorship in this course that aims to have students job-ready upon graduation. Learn how to turn your creative drive into a career while preparing for the job market in this certificate-granting program.

You already live in New York, so why not learn to move like Spider-Man? This weekly class gives you the confidence (or insanity) to leap around boulders, stairs, scaffolding and beyond all over NYC, like a spider-bitten acrobat.

Glide through the air with the greatest of ease while saddled into an aerial trapeze. Hey, that rhymes! The instructors at Trapeze School New York will not only equip you with the skills to do death-defying stunts, but they’ll do it in novel outdoor locales like South Street Seaport and Pier 40 off the West Side Highway. Daily trapeze sessions are available for all four skill levels. Beginners, take note: You must take three intro courses and get approval from a teacher before you can move on to a more advanced class to learn how to flip mid-air.

Recently becoming part of the Adobe line of design applications, Figma is a user interface design tool that allows teams of designers to collaborate on design concepts for webpages, applications and mobile games. As a browser-based tool, you can all work on the same design at the same time, just like it were in Google docs. In addition to wireframing tools and layout design features, you can also create working prototypes with limited JavaScript functionality to let real users test your interface, giving you valuable feedback that you can use to improve the finished product. If you are interested in working in digital design, learning Figma can help make your work significantly less of a hassle.

Photoshop is a tool that is so ubiquitous that it has joined the likes of Google and become the word we use for the process of digitally manipulating photos. Photoshop managed this by being the easiest tool to use and the most accessible tool for photo manipulation. If you want to start creating your digital images, making photographs look cleaner or posting animated gifs, you’ll want to learn Photoshop. In this introductory Photoshop course, you’ll learn the basics of the program, including how to navigate the interface and work with digital layers. In just a day, you’ll be ready to start experimenting with the application or pursuing more advanced Photoshop training.