André Wheeler

The first bagel was baked sometime during the 15-century, in either Poland or Germany. But despite their Old World origins, these fluffy halos of activated yeast, water, and salt have operated as a particular point of pride—dare we say, obsession—for New Yorkers, owed undoubtedly to the diverse communities of Jewish immigrants woven into the city’s history. And yet, in a city that hosts hot sauce, coffee and tea and hot dog expos, there were no mass celebrations of New Yorkers’ most popular morning fuel to be found. Enter: Bagelfest Brooklyn.  The festival, first hosted in 2019, features a curated selection of standout bagel spots from across the city. After taking a break last year, due to Covid-19, the festival will make its grand return on October 2 at BKLYN Studios City Point. With tickets starting at $35, attendees can relish two hours of chomping down on offerings from the holy grail of New York bagels, including Black Seed, Ess-a-Bagel, Utopia, Bantam, Tompkins Square and many more.  You can thank Sam Silverman for the gluten fest. “I’ve always had a passion for bagels since I was a kid, I’m not sure where it came from,” he admits. Silverman is not a bagel shop owner or chef—in fact, his day job involves working in “strategic operations” for a major nationwide retailer. But he’s passionate about bagels. Very passionate. He remembers moving to the city after college and trying out the Midtown staple Ess-a-Bagel, established in 1976, for the first time. “It was a mind-be

This weekend, a celebration of the diverse shops, residents, and cultural contributions that can be found in Chinatown will take place. There will be a conceptual interactive art piece! A scavenger hunt! And even the chance to score a free t-shirt from the Pharrell-founded brand Billionaire Boys Club (if you spend $50 or more dollars at select shops). The goal of the extravaganza is simple: To get people to visit Chinatown again.  That’s because while much of New York has enjoyed an uptick in business this summer, thanks to relaxed Covid measures, Chinatown is struggling to rebound. The trend is national unfortunately—Chinatowns across America are struggling to combat the sharp rise of xenophobia and misguided fear towards the Asian and AAPI community that arose during Covid. With “Meet Chinatown,” taking place Sept 18-19, there is a chance for shoppers to combat prejudice and hate through economic support.  The meaningful weekend comes from Welcome to Chinatown, which was founded in 2020 and describes itself as “a grassroots initiative to support Chinatown businesses and amplify community voices that generates much needed momentum to preserve one of New York City's most vibrant neighborhoods.”  Here is some of what will be offered this weekend:  Get to know gems of the neighborhood through Welcome to Chinatown’s digital directory Explore and learn through immersive videos and interactive exhibits Go on a self-guided scavenger hunt to win prizes All to meet and honor the peo

The late Bill Cunningham, infamous for gliding across Manhattan on his Biria bicycle and almost always wearing an unassuming, blue worker jacket, is largely considered one of fashion’s greatest street photographers. In a way, this adulation slightly diminishes Cunningham’s importance. Cunningham was also an astute journalist and documentarian. For nearly four decades, the Harvard University dropout captured New York’s ever-changing landscape and subcultures: Upper East Side grande dams, funky Lower East Side club-goers and women of the eighties speed-walking to work in sneakers and pleated skirts.   The Times of Bill Cunningham, which opened during the in-person return of New York Fashion Week recently, is an immersive exhibition that advocates for a more nuanced approach to the late photographer’s work (Cunningham passed away in 2016, at the age of 87). Every visit to the show has the potential to be different. That’s because large-scale reproductions of Cunningham’s photographers flash on high-wattage screens and steadily change. One viewing you can be looking at a Studio 54-era photo of Diane Von Furstenberg sashaying out of a club, the next a stylish set of pedestrians stomping down the sidewalk in the 90s. Cunningham worked as a photographer for the New York Times and his work primarily appeared in his own column from 1989 until his passing. This medium may suggest Cunningham was simply moving from week to week, constrained by the innate nature of luck and happenstance t

The corridor below 42nd Street — which connects the major hubs of Grand Central, Bryant Park, and Times Square to each other — has long been an under-appreciated workhorse for the MTA system. During pre-pandemic times, it is estimated that more people passed through the corridor in a single day than the entire daily ridership of the Boston subway and bus system. But while extremely convenient and vital for scores of riders the free transfers were, admittedly, never really that pleasant to perform. On Friday, however, expansive renovations and improvements will officially come to the section connecting Bryant Park and Times Square. One of the most noticeable changes will be aimed at beautification: A set of surrealist, colorfully-hued mosaics conjured up by the artist Nick Cave will be unveiled. Overall, the vast improvements are geared towards improving both the general experience and efficiency of transferring. And if you’re a transit-nerd like us (shoutout NUMTOT), you’re probably hungry for details about what changes to see and enjoy during your next trip, especially when the completion of major MTA projects feels too far and in-between for New Yorkers. Here are five important things to know about the MTA’s large-scale renovation of the 42nd Street Connector.  Nick Cave created the mosaics based off his distinctive “Soundsuits” and video recordings  This is not the first time artist Nick Cave has used the MTA system as a launching pad for his art. Back in 2017, the artist

Next week, America will observe the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. To honor the moment, the New-York Historical Society, which has existed as a cultural institution since 1804, will stage a series of installations and film screenings that strive to provide understanding and context around what New Yorkers collectively experienced on the horrifying day of history. The experience will take place throughout Saturday, September 11, and will include the ethos-filled relics, including a damaged fire truck door from the first responders to arrive on the scene and candles, notes and mementos retrieved from memorials erected in the immediate aftermath.  RELATED: Ways to mark September 11 in NYC in 2021 Time Out spoke with Margi Hofer, Vice President and Museum Director at the New-York Historical Society, about the institution's decades-spanning engagement with the legacy of 9/11 and highlighting the resiliency of New York through this special commemoration.  What can visitors expect from these installations? One of the main features will be a film experience in our auditorium that was created from the Here Is New York archive. It uses about 175 images that were gathered and part of an endeavor to solicit photographs from both amateur and professional photographers and they were exhibited in SoHo shortly after the 9/11 attacks. It’s an incredible archive and what we’ve put together really traces the experience of that day and the days and weeks that followed. The works touch on

Last night, the remnants of Hurricane Ida striking the east coast led to unprecedented floods and rainwater in New York City. Across the area, there were debilitating closures and delays on the MTA subway system and near-biblical scenes of apartments and homes submerged in water. A day later, much of the damage is still being assessed, but, as of Thursday evening, there are 18 confirmed deaths related to the storm and New York’s transportation network remains hobbled. The effects are lingering and far-reaching—the 2021 U.S. Open was forced to revise its schedule and postpone games, basement apartments are soaked in water and mass disruption to transportation continues. And the torrential downpour provided plenty of viral content that makes a strong case for improved infrastructure funding.  Here’s a look at the unprecedented destruction and chaos Hurricane Ida brought to the New York area.  The U.S. Open was delayed  Heavy rain and wind came through the open roofs of Louis Armstrong Stadium, which hosts the U.S. Open, prompting matches to be delayed. One match that was originally scheduled to be played on the stadium's court was postponed, while another was moved indoors.  The disruptions caused frustration to players Diego Schwartzman and Kevin Anderson—whose match was repeatedly interrupted while workers cleared rainwater and ensured safety. ““I was ready to play and I wanted to finish today, not finish tomorrow. You never know what can happen,” Schwartzman told AP. “I was

The upcoming run of the Venice Biennale-darling opera Sun & Sea at BAM was always going to be an ambitious, unconventional theater experience. For one, the near-future, climate-change-focused work employs massive tons of sand to create a visually stunning mock beach. Second, the imaginative opera offers a chilling and timely rumination on how a simple day by the water could be mired and shaped by ever-increasing climate crises. But BAM is taking even more steps to make Sun & Sea a uniquely dynamic and rule-breaking show.  On Thursday, BAM issued an open and inclusive casting call for background beachgoers, with absolutely no performance experience required of hopeful participants. “Local community members of any age (at least 12 years old), gender, ability, racial and ethnic background, and body type are encouraged to apply,” BAM wrote in its call. They are also calling for (at least) one dog!  Participants are asked to be available for all performances and one dress rehearsal (September 14–19 and 22–26). In addition, they must provide proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The casting call went out early Thursday morning and within hours BAM was forced to temporarily close its application form to additional applications due to overwhelming interest. This latest production development comes after over a year of delays for the large-scale production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Sun and Sea will run at BAM through September 15-26. While applications to be in the sh

The Brooklyn Academy of Music is bringing a piece of Lithuania to Fort Greene this fall. The performing arts venue will be hosting the climate change-focused opera Sun & Sea, a daring, experimental work that depicts a large cast of characters enjoying a beach day as large-scale climate crises rage on. The timely opera was originally written and performed in Lithuanian and shown at the revered arts extravaganza Venice Biennale, where it won a prestigious Golden Lion award in 2019 and was called a “a critique of leisure and of our times” by the biennale’s jury. Sun & Sea is an incredibly visually minded piece of work. The set’s large-scale beach recreation features over 25 tons of sand. And everyone has a bird’s eye view of the spectacle. Audience members stand in the mezzanine section of BAM and peer down at the action, adding a voyeuristic feel to the experience.  Describing what happens in Sun & Sea is difficult, because so much of the play rests on reading in-between the lines. As the New York Times wrote of the highly contemplative piece, “it manages to animate a panoramic cast of characters whose stories coalesce into a portrait of an apocalyptic climate crisis that goes down as easily as a trip to the beach.” The creative product of director Rugile Barzdziukaite, writer Vaiva Grainyte and artist and composer Lina Lapelyte, Sun & Sea seemingly strives to depict just how ordinary and banal our responses and interpretations of seismic climate change events are likely to be.

A brand-new immersive visual experience is landing atop the One World Trade Center this fall. Through a series of interactive visual installations, visitors to One World Observatory will step into a narrative voyage exploring the past, present and future of Lower Manhattan.  The stimuli-packed journey comes courtesy of the Montreal-based immersive media studio Float 4.  “This project is, at its core, a celebration of New York and New Yorkers,” says Alexandre Simionescu, CEO of Float4, “and we focused the narrative on Lower Manhattan because of its fundamental role in New York City’s rich history. As a narrative backdrop, the theme of travel is weaved throughout the four unique digital interventions: the Global Welcome Center, the Portal Wall, the Horizon Grid and the Reflection screen.”  Here’s some of what visitors can expect:  The Global Welcome Center introduces guests to an interactive visual installation on a display of monumental proportions. Meant to create a sentiment of arrival and awe, the content greets each visitor in their language of origin.  The Reflection Screen gives visitors a 3D bird’s eye view of One World Trade Center.  Using historical footage, the Horizon Grid presents a brief history of lower Manhattan through a thoughtfully animated visual journey; a series of iconic events and locations viewable from the observatory. The Portal Wall presents a contemporary view of the World Trade Center Plaza, including future developments such as 5 World Trade Cente

New York culinary icons Shake Shack and Milk Bar are teaming up for a delicious collaboration: two limited-edition shakes. Offering a unique merging of both brands’ distinctive strengths, fans will be able to choose between the chocolate birthday cake shake and cornflake drizzle shake starting this week.  The shakes are the creative brainchild between executives, head chefs and bakers at Shake Shack and Milk Bar, two New York-born spots that have evolved into beloved nationwide brands. Ahead of their release, Shake Shack and Milk Bar broke down the recipes of their one-of-a-kind offerings:  Chocolate Birthday Cake Shake made with Milk Bar B’Day crumbs and Milk Bar B’Day frosting hand-spun with chocolate cake frozen custard Cornflake Chocolate Drizzle Shake made with Milk Bar Cornflake Crunch, hand-spun with vanilla frozen custard and topped with Milk Bar chocolate fudge drizzle and mini marshmallows The shakes formally launch nationwide, and for pickup and delivery through Shake Shack’s website or app, starting Friday, September 3 through November 1. However, dedicated fans can use the Shack App to exclusively snag the limited-edition shakes starting Tuesday, August 31. And if your birthday is coming up soon, you might be in luck. To celebrate the new collaboration, Shake Shack is giving away free shakes to lucky fans in honor of their birthdays. Every Friday in September, fans can head to Shake Shack’s Instagram Stories (@shakeshack), where they’ll use the B’Day Randomizer t

You’re not imagining it—New York really has become more expensive to live in America, a new study has found.  The early onset of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a host of dire predictions about the future of New York and its real estate market. The cost of living in the city was expected to dramatically nosedive. But, in a slightly surprising development, a new study reveals New York has actually dethroned tech-hub San Francisco as the most expensive place to live this year. The average price of a one-bedroom in New York is $2,810, just marginally more than San Francisco’s average of $2,800. The findings are included in a national rent report from real estate website Zumper.  This past summer has seen rents rise above pre-COVID levels for a number of high-demand neighborhoods in New York City. According to a StreetEasy market report release earlier this summer, Manhattan’s rent, which saw the most dramatic drop during Covid, has seen an increase by $60, to $2,860, while Brooklyn and Queens rents saw increases by $49 and $50, to $2,449 and $2,100, respectively.  San Francisco, on the other hand, has suffered a major population decline (1.7% to be exact) throughout the Covid pandemic that it has not fully bounced back from, preventing rents from returning or rising above pre-Covid levels.  The development is confounding some housing experts—considering tens of thousands of tenants are still struggling to pay rent and rent relief has not been distributed to a significant number of app

On Thursday, September 23, New Yorkers will get to enjoy the magic of Broadway…. for free. In honor of Broadway’s long-awaited comeback, a bevy of productions are coming together for a free, one-night spectacular performed in Bryant Park.  The performances, organized in part by New York soft rock station 106.7 Lite FM, will run from noon through two p.m. Confirmed shows taking part in the event include, Aladdin, Caroline, Or Change, Chicago, Diana The Musical, Girl From The North Country, Mrs. Doubtfire, Six, Stomp, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, and Waitress.  In many ways, this has been the summer of free, accessible Broadway events. Bryant Park has also hosted the inaugural “Broadway to Film” series, which features screenings of popular Broadway stage-to-film (and vice-versa) works, including Moulin Rouge!, Phantom of the Opera, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Select screenings even included guest appearances from cast members of the current productions.  Taking place on The Lawn, seating is first-come, first-served.  Click here for more information about Broadway in the Park.