Abbe Lewis

Whether it be an after-work hang, a birthday party or a simply an opportunity to belt your little heart out, a karaoke bar can boost one’s mood. Lucky for all of us, New York City is chock-full of karaoke bars built for every performer's fancy, whether you’re into singing showtunes in a bear bar or crooning the best the ‘80s has to offer in a Koreatown private room filled with your closest friends. Here we dive into the best karaoke bars the city has to offer—get your vocal chords ready! RECOMMENDED: More of the best bars in NYC

While cupcakes are still very much alive and well these days, we’ve seen a recent boom in cookies, putting them in the spotlight and satisfying all of our sugar cravings. Some of New York’s best bakeries deliver cookies of all kinds right to your doorstep. From some of NYC's best desserts to cookies that can be delivered in the wee hours of the morning, these are the best cookie delivery services in NYC. RECOMMENDED: See the full list of best restaurants in NYC

Whether you're on a first date and looking for somewhere romantic or meeting up with friends to spill the tea, wine bars are a local obsession among New Yorkers. These days we’re finding more obscure lists bedecked with unfamiliar varietals and natural wines all for the taking, and we’re not mad about it. From a Michelin-starred haven run by a member of LCD Soundsystem to a staunch Tribeca hangout, these are the wine bars worth seeking out in New York City. RECOMMENDED: More of the best bars in NYC

Cocktail bars, wine bars, and dives, when it comes to local watering holes, New York City’s cup runneth over with countless options. The five boroughs are also home to the adorably quirky themed bar, so unique that it gets its own genre. From a vibrant tiki bar in Williamsburg to an East Village establishment completely devoting itself to all things Tim Burton, these 13 themed bars in New York City are worth seeking out. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best bars in NYC

Last year we saw a lot—a lot—of takeout, and luckily for us New Yorkers, our restaurants know how to do it right. When the going gets tough and the work week gets tougher, turning to one of your favorite neighborhood establishments for a tuna hand roll or a top-rate New York slice is so easy you don’t have to interrupt your Netflix binge. And if there was anything remotely good to come out of all that was 2020, it was that our trove of top restaurants offered knockout delivery services. Here are some of the very best. (And as a reminder, while there are plenty of delivery platforms out there, if you can order directly from a restaurant, it helps their bottom line. Don't forget to tip well!) RECOMMENDED: Find more of the best restaurants in NYC

Miami rent has been on a steady incline for years, with a dramatic surge reported in 2021. The spike wasn’t unexpected—between the city’s iconic beaches, bright blue waters, year-round sunshine and vibrant cultural scene, the city continues to attract new residents in droves. But that popularity comes at a price. In apartment rental platform Zumper’s March 2025 National Rent Report, Miami ranked as the sixth most expensive city in the country for one-bedroom apartments, with a median monthly rent of $2,550. It’s the most expensive city to live in within the state of Florida, with Miami Beach following closely behind at $2,480 for a one-bedroom unit. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Miami? $3,350. For perspective, the statewide median for a one-bedroom in March was $1,605. Zumper’s report includes data from 26 cities within the local metro area. Of those, only four had one-bedroom median rents below the statewide median. Coral Springs emerged as the most affordable, with a median rent of $1,550 for a one-bedroom—down 11.4% from last year and 3.1% from last month. On the flip side, Sunrise saw the steepest increase across the region, with a 9.2% year-over-year jump, bringing its one-bedroom median to $1,900. The good news: despite Miami’s consistent placement among the most expensive rental markets in the U.S., the pace of rent growth has recently slowed. In fact, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Miami rose just 0.4% from February and actually fell 5

Want to really get to know a city? Lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement. Walking like a local is hands-down one of the best ways to explore any given destination. To find out which cities around the world do walkability best, Time Out asked 18,500 residents a simple question: how easy is it to get around your city on foot? Coming in at number one: Abu Dhabi, where 91% of locals praised the city’s pedestrian-friendly design. Boston followed with 89% and Brighton, in the UK snagged third with 88%. New York wasn’t far behind—earning the number four spot, with 87% of locals across all five boroughs showing love for the city’s walkability.  And they’re not wrong. From restaurants and bars to parks, shops, landmarks and hidden gems, NYC is bursting with things to do and see—often just a few blocks apart. And while Central Park might be the city’s green crown jewel, it’s far from the only place to escape the concrete: community gardens, waterfront promenades and leafy side streets offer plenty of nature breaks. Sure, we’ve got a vast subway system. But when delays hit (and let’s be honest, they do), walking becomes the unofficial backup plan. Manhattan’s grid makes navigating on foot easy—even for newcomers. As a cheat sheet: 20 north-to-south blocks equals about a mile, or a 20-minute stroll for the average New Yorker. And as everyone knows, in 20 minutes, you can end up in a completely different neighborhood, with a totally different vibe. That’s the magic of walking here. W

New Yorkers are no strangers to public art exhibitions—last year alone, we witnessed 100 life-size elephants take over the Meatpacking District while a 65-foot-long hot dog took up residency in Times Square. Photograph: Courtesy of Tishman Speyer This week, three works by the late celebrated American artist John Chamberlain have been installed in the heart of Rockefeller Center, bringing much joy and whimsy to passersby. The exhibition, presented alongside Mnuchin Gallery, was unveiled yesterday, April 16, on what would have been Chamberlain’s 98th birthday. “Chamberlain Goes Outdoors at Rockefeller Center,” which is running through May 29, features large-scale sculptures from the artist’s FOILS series: “FIDDLERSFORTUNE (Pink),” “RITZFROLIC (Green)” and “BALMYWISECRACK (Copper).” It’s the first time any works from this striking installation, his only one designed for the outdoors, have touched American soil. This also happens to be the debut of the copper edition of “BALMYWISECRACK (Copper).” Photograph: Courtesy of Tishman Speyer Known for his large-scale sculptures constructed using old cars, metals and aluminum foil, Chamberlain is being honored all around town this month. Christie’s at 20 Rockefeller Center, for example, is currently hosting a new exhibit titled “John Chamberlain: Foil & Form,” featuring 11 pieces by the artist that span from the 1980s to the 2000s, through April 27. Among the works on display are some made from toy trucks and cars retrieved from an

It was only a matter of time before an ice cream iteration of Dubai chocolate, the uber-viral treat that has taken the global confectionery scene by storm, came into existence. The relatively new midtown bakery Sweet Graffiti is now offering just that: a Dubai ice cream sundae made with homemade vanilla soft serve swirls topped with chocolate syrup, drizzled with homemade pistachio cream and finished with a "generous sprinkling of golden toasted kataifi and chopped pistachios," according to an official press release.  For those needing a quick refresh: the dessert is a bar comprised of—you guessed it—chocolate, pistachio and kataifi, a shredded phyllo dough that’s been toasted, giving the treat a glorious crunch. The sweet dessert originated in Dubai—hence its name—but quickly became a TikTok sensation, now sold in various forms all over the world (even Shake Shack is in on the whole thing!). Photograph: Courtesy of Graffiti Bakery The version sold at Sweet Graffiti in Herald Square comes courtesy of pastry chef Romina Peixoto, also behind the slew of creative items on the bakery's permanent menu—from pad Thai cookies to house-made bonbons and "fronuts," which are donut-shaped, frozen desserts of different flavors.  Clearly the driving force behind the menu and a pastry pro in her own right, Peixoto’s resume includes revered establishments Eleven Madison Park and Le Cirque, the latter of which she worked at as executive pastry chef.   Suddenly, it feels like summer... and

Buckle up, cocktail lovers—numbers 51-100 of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025 has officially dropped, featuring 23 destinations all over the continent. This is the first time we’re seeing the list’s expansion to 100 since the first North America ranking in 2022, and a whopping 29 bars are located within the United States, including the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Albuquerque, Boston, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix.  Boston’s own Equal Measure came in at number 81 on the list.  Touting themselves as a “global cocktail bar with a local twist,” Equal Measure is the extension of Garrett Harker’s Eastern Standard, a beloved Bostonian favorite that had a 16-year run until its closure in 2021. It comes as no surprise that both spaces have been in high demand since their opening at the Bower in Fenway in the fall of 2023. Led by ES Hospitality beverage director Jackson Cannon and bar principal Eliza Hoar, the swank cocktail bar with art deco details, massive windows bedecked with velvet curtains, a lounge and a private dining room, can be accessed via a long hallway connected to Eastern Standard. The cocktail list features fun plays on the classics like the Siesta, giving “bubble-less paloma vibes,” with tequila, Campari, grapefruit, lime and angostura bitters, and the Mad Hatter, a clarified milk punch. There’s also culinary-inspired drinks like Golden Girls featuring mezcal, falernum, pineapple and roasted golden beet syrup (“thank you for being a friend”),

Another day, another holiday. This time, we're celebrating vinyls—and it's happening all around the country. Here's what you should know. What is Record Store Day? A semi-annual event, held on a Saturday in April, as well as Black Friday in November, Record Store Day pays tribute to independent record and music stores, including the staff, the artists and the loyal customers. Record Store Day, founded in 2007 by Baltimore-based independent record store owners Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Brian Poehner, and Don Van Cleave, is now an international day of recognition. Every year, cities worldwide celebrate in kind, bringing together artists and enthusiasts for various events. The first of this year’s events will be held on April 12. Special releases and exclusives to look out for The big ambassador of Record Store Day 2025 is none other than Post Malone, and his album, Post Malone Tribute to Nirvana, is one of 300-plus titles to be released on April 12. “We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork, the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. I feel at home,” he said in an official statement on the Record Store Day website. Other special releases and exclusives coming to a Record Store Day near you include: Live on Tour 1993 by Rage Against the Machine"Guess" by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish Wicked: The SoundtrackDemon Days Live From the Apollo Theater by Gorillaz"Fortnight" by Taylor Swift feat

The glamorous TWA Hotel in New York has just earned a pretty awesome accolade: third best airport hotel in the world, according to Skytrax's annual World's Best Airport Hotels survey, which you can read in full right here. The company's global airport customer satisfaction survey is the largest study of its kind and has been regarded as a benchmark for the industry. And for good reason. Guests are asked to assess everything from the overall experience of the hotel and the level of service to in-room and on-premise amenities, airport access, cleanliness, food quality and value for money. They’re also asked to rate what may be the most important factor of an airport hotel stay: sleep quality. (We’re so here for this.)  That is all to say: TWA Hotel is clearly deserving of all the praise! Photograph: courtesy of TWA Hotel Coming in at number one on the 2025 list is the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport in Singapore (which is no surprise: it is the 13th time the destination has topped the ranking), followed by the Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Airport in Shenzhen at number two. Only one other U.S. airport hotel made it to the top ten global ranking: the Westin Denver International Airport at number ten. It's also worth noting that, on the U.S. top ten list, TWA came in first.  Photograph: By Alyssa Meadows | TWA Hotel A nod back to retro days of yore, the formerly abandoned Eero Saarinen’s landmark TWA Flight Center reopened with much excitement and grandeur in 2019. The property itself,

Food lovers, rejoice! The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is making its triumphant return this fall, taking place from October 15 to 19, and, this time around, the extravaganza will be held somewhere completely new: Manhattan’s historic Seaport neighborhood. With nearly all subway trains funneling into lthe area, this makes for one highly accessible event.  “We are thrilled to bring our iconic Festival to the Seaport to create a unified, world-class culinary festival,” said Lee Brian Schrager, Festival Founder and Chief Communications Officer and SVP of Corporate Communications for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, in an official statement. “This is one of NYC’s most iconic neighborhoods and one we’ve always wanted to work with.”  Now in its 18th year and partnering with the James Beard Foundation, Event Zero Foundation, a21 and Seaport Entertainment Group, revelers can expect multi-course dining experiences, pier parties, master classes, tastings and boozy brunches by acclaimed chefs and Food Network favorites. (We’re not-so-secretly hoping to see a repeat of Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop presents Brooklyn Eats & Beats.) Acclaimed Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who owns and operates over 60 restaurants around the world, including the iconic Tin Building by Jean-Georges, also located in the Seaport—is serving as culinary host. The Tin Building will also serve as one of the backdrops for a number of events and dining experiences. The full list of events for th

Nestled in the heart of Dumbo, Brooklyn Bridge Park has become a destination green space for New Yorkers and tourists, with millions of people visiting annually since its debut in 2010. After nearly a year and a half of construction-related work, the destination now dons a welcoming new entryway.  Photograph: Courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park Coinciding with the park’s 15th anniversary, the new pavilion and entryway at Pier 1 commemorate the park’s continued expansion and transformation. The debut of the new Brooklyn Bridge Park installment happened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 8; guests included local New York City politicians, community members as well as Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the agency that designed the new space.  “With the opening of the new Pier 1 Pavilion and Entryway, we have created a vibrant destination in the Park, where visitors can meet, gather and enjoy this incredible public space,” said President of Brooklyn Bridge Park Eric Landau in an official statement. Photograph: Courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park The glitzy new pavilion at Old Fulton Street is comprised of three stone structures and features honey locust and ginkgo trees, as well as a roof topped with photovoltaic (solar) panels. An oculus can be seen at the top of the roof, connecting guests with the open air. Picnic tables dot the perimeter of the pavilion, inviting patrons to sit back, relax and take in the lush scenery and views. Also on site is the park’s first private fa