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Subscribers got early access to this story in our\u00a0New York Night School: How to Be a New Yorker\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Click here<\/a>\u00a0to explore more of our subscriber-exclusive newsletters.<\/p>\n Once a year, the editors of New York set out to make the day-to-day task of living in this city easier for our readers \u2014 both those who have been here since birth and those who are still discovering (and adjusting to) its peculiarities and price tags. In 2025, we covered the basics of existence<\/a>: eating, commuting, taking in a little culture, finding an apartment, getting a good doctor, and simply walking down the street. For the 2026, of the guide, we\u2019ve delved into more advanced New York\u2013ing: how to throw a party<\/a>, where to get a haircut (and a facial, and your lashes tinted)<\/a>, how to catch the best concerts<\/a>, how to keep a child<\/a> and your schnoodle<\/a> relatively happy, where to sharpen your mind<\/a>, and even how to plan a funeral<\/a>. All the wisdom comes from the staff\u2019s hive mind and veteran New Yorkers with discerning taste. It\u2019s not a comprehensive guide, but there\u2019s enough here to give you the confidence you need to walk the streets another day. (For starters, you may want to get your boots resoled by Tina Brown\u2019s cobbler.<\/a>) We\u2019re about to upgrade aspects of your city life you didn\u2019t even realize could improve.<\/p>\n To find someone to mix margaritas at your house party, contact the Columbia Bartending Agency<\/a> or chat up your favorite local bartender or server. Many of them (like Jeremy Haines at Little More in Tribeca) have flexible schedules and will pick up freelance gigs.<\/p>\n Magic-Al Garber<\/a> is the magician to book. The big draw is his assistant: a bird named Poopsie.<\/p>\n Cookbook writer Ellen Morrissey has a side hustle as a custom-cake baker and a knack for meeting exacting standards. Prices start at $500. (DM @morrisseykohnhorst<\/a> on Instagram.)<\/p>\n B&H Dairy<\/a> in the East Village will do private parties at night for up to 35 people ($35 per person; $700 minimum). Besides the classic deli dishes, you\u2019ll get a whole cake, decorations, a karaoke machine, and, as a free add-on, a tuna-melt lesson. Booze is BYO.<\/p>\n Throw bar and bat mitzvahs at Insa<\/a> in Gowanus. It can do family-style food; there are multiple themed karaoke rooms; and the bar area with tables is slightly separate, giving adults a place to congregate and tweens a sense of independence.<\/p>\n Shop for party supplies where Darcy Miller, the UES celebration expert, does:<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf88 Economy Candy<\/a> (108 Rivington St.) \ud83c\udf88 Modern State<\/a> (112 E. 86th St.) \ud83c\udf88 William Greenberg Desserts<\/a> (1100 Madison Ave.) Amy Lee Flower<\/a>, a longtime yoga teacher and somatic-mindfulness teacher (and cousin of Leigh Lezark), also guides tweens\u2019 crystal-themed birthday parties.<\/p>\n Your local drag queens \u2014 the ones who weren\u2019t on Drag Race, especially \u2014 want to work your gigs, and they can be surprisingly affordable. Slide into their DMs or reach out to Justin Habben, bar manager at Echo Bravo<\/a> in Bushwick, a.k.a. the live-singing, mustachioed chanteuse Sarah Creamin\u2019 Onion.<\/p>\n For a high-low engagement party, get dressed up and order Champagne in the back room at Scarr\u2019s Pizza<\/a>, says Sue Chan, founder of event production company Care of Chan<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can get married at the New York Marble Cemetery<\/a> on Second Avenue.<\/p>\n The Balloon Saloon<\/a> in Tribeca has the best gag gifts and the biggest fake poops in town.<\/p>\n Avoid trampoline parks at all costs. Throw a less chaotic kids\u2019 party instead at Twinkle PlaySpace<\/a> in Williamsburg. For $399, hire NY Teacup Piggies to bring in three piglets for the young partygoers to play with.<\/p>\n We Adorn You<\/a> will K-pop-braid your kids\u2019 hair or bedazzle their Touchlands and Labubus.<\/p>\n Call Beverly Fish at Chezzam<\/a> for out-of-the-box entertainment \u2014 think actors in rat costumes serving a cheese platter, says Mary Giuliani, founder of the MGCE catering company.<\/p>\n When planning a bachelor or bachelorette party, you won\u2019t regret renting Sid Gold\u2019s Request Room<\/a> in Chelsea for live piano karaoke.<\/p>\n Rent a theater at Metrograph<\/a> for a themed throwback movie event, like a Goonies party, says Giuliani.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in Tina Brown\u2019s New York Rolodex<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc7 Dry Cleaners: La Mode Cleaners \ud83d\udcc7 Tailor: Nataliya Design<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Eyelashes, eyebrows, and nails: Eva\u2019s Nails & Spa \ud83d\udcc7 Cobbler: Leather Spa<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Weekend breakfast: Sutton Cafe \ud83d\udcc7 Celebratory meal: Orso<\/a> Tigre<\/a>, the cocktail lounge on the Lower East Side owned by the same team as Maison Premiere, has pocket rooms it calls \u201csnugs,\u201d with wooden walls, velvet, and warm lighting, where a small group can sit.<\/p>\n At Zara Forest<\/a>, a Turkish restaurant in Staten Island, special occasions are marked by massive flaming meat plates presented with a flourish in the dark by the whole staff singing.<\/p>\n Le Veau d\u2019Or<\/a>, one of the hardest reservations in town, has a private room upstairs with space for up to 20 for a seated meal. Enjoy the same escargot Proven\u00e7al, duck Magret, and chilled martinis but in an airy high-ceilinged space that\u2019s easier to book with a bit more elbow room and better acoustics.<\/p>\n You can rent out the manicure room at Akiko Nails<\/a> for a sweet-16 gathering of up to 25. All guests get a regular or gel manicure and accent nail art.<\/p>\n The birthday-party snack menu at Melody Lanes<\/a> in Sunset Park includes six-foot subs ($29 per foot) from Lioni\u2019s<\/a> nearby.<\/p>\n A $125 three-course prix fixe, reservations taken only by phone, tables with breathing room, and a low decibel level make Eulalie<\/a> in Tribeca ideal for milestone birthdays like the big 8-0.<\/p>\n Throw a wedding (or a bar mitzvah or a birthday party) on a Circle Line Cruise<\/a>. Some ships fit up to 600 people.<\/p>\n The bookable room at Fraunces Tavern<\/a> is shockingly affordable, says Giuliani. It has great Revolutionary War vibes, and the bartenders often throw in a round.<\/p>\n Hosting your kid\u2019s birthday at Rullo\u2019s Bar <\/a>in Park Slope means free-play pinball, karaoke, hot dogs, and Shirley Temples (plus a free round for the adult plus-ones).<\/p>\n \u2014 Fiorella Valdesolo<\/p>\n The fastest way to get around the city with toddlers and preschoolers is via electric cargo bike. If space (and budget) are strained, get a collapsible utility wagon.<\/p>\n The Parent Artist Advocacy League for Performing Arts & Media<\/a> offers free babysitting by off-duty performing artists for select Broadway and Off Broadway performances via Broadway Babysitters.<\/p>\n Your 3-year-old is too young for The Lion King and will likely be turned away at the door. But really, your child\u2019s first experience of theater should be at the New Victory Theater<\/a>.<\/p>\n The consignment kids\u2019 market here is excellent. To access it:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc55 Browse in person at Jane\u2019s Exchange<\/a> in the East Village.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc55 The Sunnyside Book and Media Swap at the Lou Lodati Playground in Queens has hundreds of gently used children\u2019s books.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc55 Carousel<\/a> sells personalized \u201ccapsules\u201d of pre-owned children\u2019s clothing online. To donate: Pickup is $10, or drop off at Canopy<\/a> in Williamsburg.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc55 P.S. 8, P.S. 29, and Grace Church in Brooklyn and the Play Area Association<\/a> on the Upper East Side, a hospital-family co-op, all hold rummage sales full of great finds.<\/p>\n Fall and spring bring vibrant elementary-school-run street fairs in every neighborhood. The Bank Street School for Children<\/a> (the mayor\u2019s alma mater) in Morningside Heights goes all out every year on the third weekend of October.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re considering conceiving with a donor egg, go to NYU Langone\u2019s fertility clinic<\/a>. It allows expectant parents to use eggs from approved outside agencies as well as offers a wait list to find a match through its in-house egg-donor program.<\/p>\n You can hire a babysitter to walk your child (ages 4 to 15) from school to your home (or wherever they need to go) using the service Trot My Tot<\/a>. You\u2019ll pay a maximum of $25 per hour.<\/p>\n The Queens County Farm Museum\u2019s annual Apple Blossom Carnival<\/a> in April is magical.<\/p>\n Many YMCAs around the city offer up to two hours of free child care (for children ages 6 weeks to 11 years with a family membership) while you work out. At Life Time<\/a> gyms, provided your children have memberships too, you can drop children ages 3 months to 11 years at the in-house Kids Academy for up to two hours with a reservation.<\/p>\n Climate Families NYC<\/a> routinely shows up at demonstrations with snacks and homemade art and periodically hosts park playdates with sidewalk chalk and sign-making.<\/p>\n Most online parenting groups are geared toward younger kids. The Parents of NY Teens & Young Adults<\/a> email list (PoNYTYA) is an exception: It\u2019s citywide, has close to 3,000 members, and is full of recommendations for everything from where to get a teen boy a good haircut to the best-priced neuropsych evaluators.<\/p>\n Search the See Saw app<\/a> for gallery shows even vaguely described as light or sound art for a free sensory-play experience.<\/p>\n Museums are surprisingly welcoming to children. Good spots to let your kids be (mildly) silly: the lobby of the Brooklyn Museum; the play space in the education center and the Temple of Dendur, both at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and the carpeted area and staircase under the big blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History.<\/p>\n If you really want to find out if a school is the right fit for your child, stand outside it during drop-off and pickup and ask the parents to tell you about it.<\/p>\n Remember that extracurricular options here extend well beyond the usual soccer and karate. The Jalopy Theatre and School of Music<\/a> holds sessions with ukulele, banjo, and mandolin. During school holidays, Circus Academy New York<\/a> hosts single-day camps in flying trapeze, trampoline, and stilt walking. At the Be Brooklyn<\/a> equine stable in Prospect Park, children can take English-riding lessons and walk horses on bridle trails.<\/p>\n WeBop<\/a> at Lincoln Center has up-close jam sessions five days a week with jazz musicians for children ages 8 months to 7 years.<\/p>\n Choose a 2\u2019s program in a school that offers public 3K and pre-K, especially if your zoned public school does not. Enrolling a year early gives your child priority over non-enrolled kids for admission to the free school years through the NYC Early Education Centers, says Dana Szarf of NYC School Help.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in Sandeep Salter\u2019s New York Rolodex<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc7 Clothing repair: Eva Joan<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Nails and Massage: Starry Nail Spa<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Cobbler: Brooklyn Heights Shoe Master \ud83d\udcc7 Framer: Daphne Art & Custom Framing \ud83d\udcc7 Takeout dinner: Iron Chef House<\/a> Cheeky tweens tend to enjoy the \u201cbutt scavenger hunt\u201d at the Brooklyn Museum; ask for it at admissions.<\/p>\n The days of people noticing pregnant women on the subway are largely over. Speak up and ask a sitter to stand.<\/p>\n Dadurdays<\/a>, held the second Saturday of each month at Wild East Brewing Co. on Sackett Street, is the rare parent-child event aimed at fathers.<\/p>\n If you have an athletic kid, eventually you will spend weekends on Randalls Island. The John McEnroe Tennis Academy can make this tolerable: It has nice bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and a caf\u00e9 with decent coffee and chicken fingers.<\/p>\n Wear your baby \u2014 instead of taking the stroller \u2014 to ease the friction of getting out the door. The nonprofit Wear Together NYC (@weartogethernyc<\/a> on Instagram) has a lending library of carriers in Long Island City and Park Slope and hosts monthly meetups.<\/p>\n Stick to one hospital system for all your child\u2019s medical appointments. This way, when you show up to see a specialist, all their information is in the back end and the person in front of you can treat the whole child.<\/p>\n In North Brooklyn, Brooklyn Baby Hui now rivals Park Slope Parents with 10,000 members on Facebook and multiple WhatsApp chats.<\/p>\n Improv 4 Kids<\/a> hosts an improv show every Saturday at the Broadway Comedy Club.<\/p>\n \u2014 Anya Kamenetz<\/p>\n To learn to fly-fish, contact angler Jim Fulton, who usually takes his students to the Harlem Meer to practice casting, tying knots, and approaching the water. You might even catch (and release) a carp or bass or two. (Book via learntoflyfishnyc@gmail.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Brooklyn Brainery<\/a> in Prospect Heights is all about the quirky one-day knowledge dump. Dumpling-making and the History of Toilets both make for a surprising date night.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve turned 60, your era of college-class auditing has arrived. While most private colleges charge a small fortune to audit their courses, the CUNY system has a senior audit rate of $65 (plus $15 service fee) per semester to any New York State resident over 60.<\/p>\n The artist Yuko Gunji<\/a> teaches a four-week introductory class on \u2018kintsugi\u2019 \u2014 the Japanese art of repairing cracked ceramics \u2014 from her apartment-cum-studio in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The class only occurs if at least four people have signed up, so convince your friends.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s best cooking classes (for the masses) are held at Macy\u2019s in Herald Square at the Degustibus Culinary Studio<\/a>, says chef Akshay Bhardwaj of Junoon, Jazba, and Room 207. The classes (not hands on, but they do include tastings; from $150) are taught by premier chefs like Steven Barrantes of La T\u00eate d\u2019Or, Loel Miller of Malka and Miznon, and Jacob Siwak of Forsythia.<\/p>\n Julia Knox has designed hats for Stevie Nicks, Daniel Craig, and Helen Mirren, and at her shop, East Village Hats<\/a>, she\u2019ll teach you (provided you already know some basic sewing) how to felt a fedora for $325.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re craving the feel and intellectual rigor of a liberal-arts college, there\u2019s the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research<\/a>. Its four-week courses are under $400 a pop. Suzanne Schneider\u2019s course on the modern history of Palestine is particularly popular (one time, there was a 60-person wait list). Sign up for the email list to get first dibs on registration.<\/p>\n The cheapest way to learn to swim is to join a city rec center (memberships are free for people 24 and younger and range from $25 to $150 for others) and then enter the swim-lesson lottery. The pool at the Flushing Meadows\u2013Corona Park aquatic center is the nicest; it\u2019s the only Olympic-size indoor pool within the Parks system.<\/p>\n New York kids (and adults) often learn to ride bikes later than their suburban peers. The nonprofit Bike New York<\/a> offers free instruction and groups everyone by age to avoid embarrassment.<\/p>\n A seminar at the Strother School of Radical Attention<\/a> in Dumbo might help you get off your phone. The courses on topics like Attention and the Earth and Radical Imagination are taught by artists and local spiritual leaders and cost around $200 each.<\/p>\n \u201cWildman\u201d Steve Brill has been teaching New Yorkers how to forage in the parks for more than 40 years \u2014 and he\u2019s still at it. Public tours run from March to December and alternate among Prospect Park, Central Park, and other locations. (Call him to book at 914-400-9135.)<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to enroll in a full-time M.F.A. program to get stellar creative-writing guidance. The Writers\u2019 Institute<\/a> at CUNY Graduate Center, led by Andr\u00e9 Aciman, pairs small cohorts of writers with major editors at publishing houses like Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Knopf, and W.W. Norton and literary magazines like Harper\u2019s and The New Yorker.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to stop calling Task Rabbit for everything, Dykes With Drills\u2019 Intro to Tools class<\/a> will show you how to safely use drills, impact drivers, and chop saws.<\/p>\n There\u2019s an underground laser laboratory at Holographic Studios<\/a> on the Lower East Side, where the founder\u2019s prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Sy Rivers, teaches students how depth, detail, and dimension combine to make a 3-D image and assists as they make small holograms of their own.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in Andrew Kuo\u2019s New York Rolodex<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc7 Record Store: Black Star Vinyl<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Card Shop: Med Pharmacy \ud83d\udcc7 Paint and Canvas Supplier: Soho Art Materials<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Specialty Paint Brushes: Oriental Culture Enterprises Co.<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Sweet Treats: One Girl Cookies<\/a> The most economical way to learn mahjong is with a $25 lesson at the Sparrow\u2019s Nest Studio<\/a>, a Japanese mahjong club in midtown. Discerning players also swear by the American mahjong lessons at the Mah Jongg Table (three locations in Manhattan; $118 per lesson).<\/p>\n You can learn to sew at 92NY, where, in the past decade, the sewing program has exploded from a single class for about ten kids to more than ten classes per week. Over 200 children and adults signed up last year. Each class is capped at 12 students so everyone gets their own machine.<\/p>\n Some of the best DJ-ing instruction happens on Staten Island. The education division of Maker Park Radio<\/a>, a nonprofit streaming station based in Stapleton, offers courses on vinyl, hip-hop lyric writing, live remixing, and intro to music production and sampling. Many of the classes are free.<\/p>\n There is just one path to becoming a true expert of NYC\u2019s history: Daniel Golliher\u2019s Maximum New York<\/a>, which meets throughout the city. Golliher requires students to devote about five hours each week to the course and to score at least a 95 percent on a midterm to stay enrolled. The dedication of the students makes for a tight group: \u201cI was so excited to be around other people who were really excited about learning after class,\u201d says Jillian Richardson, founder of The Joy List newsletter. \u201cEveryone would go to a diner and keep talking about what we\u2019d just learned.\u201d<\/p>\n There are quite a few places for role-playing games across the five boroughs, but only at Twenty Sided<\/a> in Williamsburg can D&D and Pathfinder enthusiasts learn to paint bespoke miniatures. The workshops ($20) cover priming, wet mixing, glazing, and inking.<\/p>\n The most affordable way to earn college credits (say, if you need them to apply to graduate school) is through the Borough of Manhattan Community College<\/a>. Courses are $265 per credit for students who live in New York City. BMCC offers in-person, virtual, and virtual asynchronous classes.<\/p>\n \u2014 Abby Schreiber<\/p>\n West 8th Street, between Sixth Avenue and Macdougal, is foot-massage row with three perpetually bustling spots (ShunFa, All Seasons Body Work, and Renew) for speedy, thorough foot massages.<\/p>\n The pre- and postnatal massages at Red Moon Wellness<\/a> in Park Slope are a staple in the Brooklyn-mom whisper network. Team members aren\u2019t afraid to dig into a pregnant client when necessary.<\/p>\n Romeo & Juliette<\/a> laser hair removal in midtown is known for wiping out hairs sprouting from all skin tones. Book with Liliya Novozhylova.<\/p>\n For amped-up natural makeup, Natalia Thomas (duchessnatalia@me.com<\/a>) does house calls. And when she\u2019s not working with Dakota Johnson, Emma Strachman (emmastrachman.com<\/a>) does too.<\/p>\n Go to Athena\u2019s Beauty<\/a> in the East Village for a low-frills lash tint before dinner at Lucien.<\/p>\n Be nice, pay cash, and tip your service providers handsomely \u2014 and you can get virtually any service at home. (Publicist Melissa A. Vitale used this strategy to get a haircut in her kitchen while recovering from surgery.)<\/p>\n Drop in to Violet Grey<\/a> on East 78th Street to get subtle event makeup.<\/p>\n You can book an injection of a low-dose steroid at Spotless<\/a> on the Upper East Side to quash a major pimple before an event without having to wait around for a derm appointment.<\/p>\n For beard trims and shaves, go to Pisterzi<\/a> in Soho. \u201cIt\u2019s an Italian hair-and-beard-care company that I stumbled on, and it\u2019s a little hidden gem,\u201d says dermatologist Daniel Belkin.<\/p>\n James Corbett uses Bokashi, a quickie Japanese rinse-away treatment designed for graying men, on his female brunette clients who want a gray blend without coming to his salon every few weeks.<\/p>\n Baiba Torman\u2019s precision cuts are the draw at Smith & Morgan<\/a>. Mischa G. at Treehouse Social Club is the Michelangelo of the shag cut.<\/p>\n The sauna is no place for your phone or a workout, says Celia Ellenberg, a brand strategist and the former global beauty and wellness director of Vogue.<\/p>\n You can get excellent discounted massages with students at the Swedish Institute<\/a> in Chelsea and Mildred Elley in Fidi, says dietitian Jenna Hollenstein.<\/p>\n Ume Cosme<\/a> in Koreatown carries harder-to-find beauty brands like Paul & Joe, Suqqu, and Flower Knows. And Teso Life has the real Bior\u00e9 UV sunscreens.<\/p>\n Some Chinese spas offer discounts on multiple treatments. Ask; you could save money, says Viveca Chow, an actress who shares finds on Instagram.<\/p>\n At Carrie Lindsey in Fort Greene, go for the eyebrow shaping (book Catherine Tomala) and stay for the jewelry shopping.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in Isaac Mizrahi\u2019s New York Rolodex<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc7 Hair Salon: Julien Farel<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Cobbler: Hector\u2019s Shoe Repair <\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Eyeglass Shop: Clairmont Nichols Opticians<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Coffee: OCAFE<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Lunch Spot: La Goulue<\/a> Get a medical pedicure once a year at Medi Pedi NYC<\/a> in Murray Hill to rehab your feet.<\/p>\n The Spa at Hotel Chelsea<\/a> makes you feel like you\u2019ve escaped the city. A massage-heavy facial with Amity Murray adds to the sensation.<\/p>\n The buzzy K-beauty treatments people are flying to Seoul for, like PDRN microneedling with salmon sperm and XERF treatments, are available at dermatologist David Kim\u2019s Soho office<\/a>.<\/p>\n George\u2019s 2 Barbershop<\/a> in Park Slope is full of awesome barbers, and the prices are very reasonable. Perfumer David Seth Moltz says to ask for Mark.<\/p>\n \u2014 Fiorella Valdesolo<\/p>\n During store hours, you can stow a bag in the lockers at Fleet Feet Columbus Circle for free \u2014 handy for running or walking in Central Park.<\/p>\n The fitness equipment in public parks is varied enough for a full-body workout. McCarren Park features pull-up bars and sit-up seats.<\/p>\n Starting in mid-April, an hour of open play pickleball for players without a fixed group at CityPickle\u2019s 14-court Wollman Rink location will be just $5.<\/p>\n If the Fort Greene tennis courts are full, try the South Oxford Park Tennis Courts on Cumberland Street. Or book a court at the Prospect Park Tennis Center at an off hour. It\u2019s $15 in the summer, and there\u2019s no permit required.<\/p>\n At the Corner Yoga Studio<\/a> in Williamsburg, there\u2019s a gentle yoga class on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons known as \u201cyoga for bartenders.\u201d It\u2019s pay-what-you-can.<\/p>\n To find a sports team to join, you\u2019ll need an app. GoodRec<\/a> and Meetup<\/a> are great for pickup basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Organized softball, flag football, and pickleball are on Volo<\/a>. Soccer is on NYC Footy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Staten Island\u2019s Ocean Breeze athletic complex is one of the few rec centers in the city with a full indoor track-and-field facility.<\/p>\n If you get shut out of New York Road Runner races, sign up for races with Prospect Park Track Club<\/a>, Rockaway Track Club<\/a>, or NYCRuns<\/a>.<\/p>\n At Real Pilates<\/a>, you can take classes for $10 with a teacher-in-training.<\/p>\n Club Pilates<\/a>, Pure Barre<\/a>, and Core Power<\/a> all offer some free classes for first-timers.<\/p>\n Try Ishta Yoga<\/a> near Union Square for the antithesis of hot-girl yoga. Take a class with Susan for a Thai Yoga foot massage at the end.<\/p>\n On Thursday nights (from March to June and September to November), there is pickup field hockey at Columbia University\u2019s Baker Athletics Complex, set up by the North East Field Hockey Association. It\u2019s $15 for adults and $10 for students.<\/p>\n \u2014 Jeremy Rellosa and Anna Medaris<\/p>\n Most restaurants allow you to have an animal with you as long as you\u2019re sitting outside.<\/p>\n No big tub at home? There are self-service pet-washing stations across the city. Try Maxx & Fluffy\u2019s<\/a> on the Upper West Side (starting at $30) or Astoria Dog Wash<\/a> ($20).<\/p>\n Don\u2019t leash your dog outside a restaurant or store. They could be dognapped (it\u2019s happened before) or get attacked by an aggressive dog walking by.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need a dog to spend time with one. Anyone can sign up to take a dog on a walk at Best Friends Pet Adoption Center<\/a> in Soho or Sean Casey Animal Rescue<\/a> near Windsor Terrace.<\/p>\n A $100-per-year \u201cBuddy\u201d membership to Biscuits & Bath<\/a> dog care lets you walk into any location and play with the dogs there.<\/p>\n Woof Wellness<\/a> hosts Instagrammable puppy yoga; $65 gets you a 45-minute class and time to play with rescue pets. For kids over 6, many of the city\u2019s public libraries host regular read-to-a-therapy-dog sessions.<\/p>\n When fostering in an apartment for the first time, resist the urge to get a puppy. Find a small- to medium-size middle-age dog who will be more low maintenance.<\/p>\n If it can be avoided, never walk your dog down Broadway. The curb\u2019s collection of discarded chicken bones and weed will make them go bonkers.<\/p>\n The least complicated, best-priced vacation boarding option is a membership at Woofs \u2019n Whiskers<\/a> in Red Hook. Memberships start at $180 per month for dogs and $90 for cats and give you access to 30 nights of boarding per year. Dogs have access to 7,000 square feet of backyard space, and cats get private condos.<\/p>\n Bittersweet<\/a> coffee shop makes and sells homemade dog treats. Pair them with the off-leash hours at Fort Greene Park (across the street) for a perfect morning.<\/p>\n Uber Pet works in a pinch if your dog can\u2019t walk for a medical reason. It\u2019s likely up to $6 extra.<\/p>\n Eventually, you\u2019ll catch a vibe of which local businesses allow pets. Wine and liquor shops, clothing stores, and other places that don\u2019t have kitchens (even Starbucks and CVS) are usually cool with dogs and sometimes have treats.<\/p>\n Pacific Aquarium & Plant<\/a> on the Lower East Side has the best selection of exotic fish. For reptiles and their accoutrements, go to Nature\u2019s Reef and Reptile in Jamaica.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in Gabrielle Hamilton\u2019s New York Rolodex<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc7 Card Shop: Exit 9 Gift Emporium<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Exterminator: Suburban Pest Control<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Coffee Shop: Abra\u00e7o<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Celebratory Restaurant: Estela<\/a> \ud83d\udcc7 Pharmacy: Avalon Chemists \ud83d\udcc7 Veterinarian: Heart of Chelsea Vet<\/a> For $25, you and your \u201creactive\u201d dog can have the entire AKC Museum of the Dog<\/a> in Murray Hill to yourselves for 45 minutes on select Saturdays. Reservations required.<\/p>\n Keep your dog from going up to other dogs on the sidewalk by holding it on a tight leash. You never know how other dogs will react to your dog saying \u201chi.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s illegal in the city to own anything other than cats, dogs, small birds, and some rodents and reptiles, so don\u2019t tell your landlord about your ferret.<\/p>\n The size of your apartment should determine what size dog you get. Energy level is equally important. Cavalier spaniels, terriers, and basenjis are ideal breeds for small apartments.<\/p>\n Dog & Co.<\/a> in Chelsea offers custom pet portraits by oil painter Rory Gevis. And Deborah O\u2019Conner is famous in Brooklyn Heights for the freehand silhouettes \u2014 of people and pets \u2014 she does several times a year at the Brooklyn Women\u2019s Exchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dogs are allowed on the subway or bus only if they\u2019re in a bag or container, but for better or worse, this is an \u201cAsk for forgiveness, not permission\u201d situation that most people ignore.<\/p>\n The cutest dog accessories can be found at Zoomies<\/a> in the West Village, Canine Styles on the Upper East Side, and Gone to the Dogs in Park Slope (home of the wool MetroCard).<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t go the rescue route, you\u2019ll have to travel out of the city for an ethical breeder (pet stores selling dogs and cats are prohibited in New York City). Go off word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and neighbors, and check that the breeder is AKC registered.<\/p>\n Transmitter Park and the Salt Marsh Nature Trails, both in Brooklyn, are standout spots for walks.<\/p>\n Take Your Dog Where \u2018the Dogist\u2019 (Elias Weiss Friedman) Takes His<\/p>\n When there\u2019s a dog scuffle on the sidewalk, you\u2019re responsible for removing yourself from the situation (even if you didn\u2019t do anything wrong).<\/p>\n If your pet has an emergency in the middle of the night, BluePearl Pet Hospital<\/a> (four locations across the city), VEG<\/a> (five locations), and the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center<\/a> (on the UES) are your best options for walk-in treatment. For complicated cases, go directly to AMC \u2014 it handles everything from imaging to surgery and care for birds and reptiles too.<\/p>\n Every dog park has a different vibe. Jemmy\u2019s Run in Madison Square Park is \u201cthe very fancy dog park,\u201d says Sophie Vershbow, mother to Simon, the honorary dog mayor of New York, and Dog Run 72 in Riverside Park is the best spot for energetic dogs. \u201cIt\u2019s larger than a lot of other parks in the city, so the dogs can really run.\u201d<\/p>\n Always ask the owner if you can pet their dog. It\u2019s simple respect.<\/p>\n \u2014 Cassie Hurwitz<\/p>\n Short people, take heed: The floors at Berlin<\/a>, Cassette<\/a>, and TV Eye<\/a> are flat, so you\u2019ll want to get to the show early for a spot up front. The back of Baby\u2019s All Right<\/a> near the bar is good for views, and the Hart Bar<\/a> basement has ledges you can stand or sit on. At Union Pool<\/a>, hang around the left side of the stage for good visibility and a spot to put your coat or drink.<\/p>\n Many venues keep a stash of earplugs behind the bar and will give you a pair if you ask nicely.<\/p>\n Remember, venue box offices still exist and can save you money on Ticketmaster fees. For example, Music Hall of Williamsburg<\/a> sells tickets for Bowery Presents shows on Saturday afternoons, and the Brooklyn Paramount<\/a> office is open Mondays, Fridays, and show days.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to be inside the venue to enjoy the free shows at the Prospect Park bandshell. Sitting nearby on the Long Meadow lets you hear almost as well.<\/p>\n Every Friday night from May to November, the Legendary Cyphers<\/a> crew hosts a hip-hop free-for-all in Union Square Park with rappers of all skill levels taking turns freestyling over a communal beat. Walk up and join the circle, then decide whether you want to spectate or participate.<\/p>\n Operation Gig<\/a> puts on free porch concerts in Ditmas Park and nearby areas as well as indoor shows during the winter. It\u2019s a great way to hear some local musicians and meet your neighbors.<\/p>\n At Madison Square Garden<\/a>, avoid being seated beneath the sky bridges. It\u2019s a cool place to sit for basketball and hockey games, but in the 200s section from the 12th row up, views of the stage are obstructed and the acoustics can be muffled.<\/p>\n There are few venues as dynamic and surprising as Pioneer Works<\/a> in Red Hook. \u201cThey move the stage around to facilitate what\u2019s best for each show. When you go, you\u2019re never sure where it\u2019ll be,\u201d says Allen Tate of the band San Fermin.<\/p>\n A lot of coat checks are still cash only, so bring a $5 bill with you to shows.<\/p>\n Go to New Jersey. If your favorite arena act is playing both Newark\u2019s Prudential Center and MSG or Barclays, the Jersey option will likely be cheaper \u2014 and it\u2019s really not that hard to get there.<\/p>\n You will hear everything a Randalls Island festival headliner is playing from the bridge on the walk out, so don\u2019t sweat leaving early.<\/p>\n Singer-songwriter Sofia D\u2019Angelo (formerly of the pop group Michelle) hosts a cozy monthly round-robin songwriters\u2019 circle in the basement of Ray\u2019s Bar<\/a> called Round Here, where you can hear up-and-coming acts perform stripped-down sets and discuss their writing processes.<\/p>\n A fun place to go dancing for people born before 1980 is the roving Friends From New York<\/a> party.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t ignore churches; you can find indie rock in the chapels. St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church<\/a> has hosted Mount Eerie, and Geese\u2019s Cameron Winter has played at St. John\u2019s Lutheran Church<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t go to the Bronx without visiting Beatstro<\/a>, a bar-lounge-restaurant with great food, music, and a wall covered in speakers, says Ariel Palitz, New York\u2019s first nightlife mayor and a former club owner.<\/p>\n DJs often have free RSVPs on sites like Eventbrite and Dice that let you avoid a cover charge. Check before you head out.<\/p>\n \u2014 Dan Reilly<\/p>\n A handful of churches don\u2019t require membership to host a funeral. These include St. John the Divine<\/a>, the Parish of Calvary St. George\u2019s<\/a> in Stuyvesant Square, and First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn<\/a> in Brooklyn Heights.<\/p>\n If a funeral home quotes you a fee to file the death certificate, don\u2019t pay it: Charging for this is illegal.<\/p>\n For a top-notch cemetery within city limits, Green-Wood is the go-to with cherry-blossom trees that rival those of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. A single grave (which allows up to three burials) costs $21,000 to $32,000.<\/p>\n Owing to cost, many New Yorkers are forced to leave the city upon their death. But you can try Calvary in deep Queens (graves cost $5,600 to $12,000) if you want to be subway accessible.<\/p>\n If you have an aging family member, consider joining a synagogue now. When the time comes, you\u2019ll have a spiritual leader to guide the service.<\/p>\n It\u2019s expensive, but the Frank E. Campbell funeral home really does throw a perfectly bespoke funeral.<\/p>\n Death doulas swear by the Sparrow Funeral Home<\/a> in Greenpoint. Greenwich Village Funeral Home<\/a> on Bleecker is a good choice if the deceased used to kick around Washington Square Park, and Farenga Funeral Home<\/a> in Astoria is nice if you need help landing a cemetery plot in Queens. On the Upper West Side, Plaza Jewish Community Chapel<\/a> has a warm neighborhood feel; Riverside Memorial Chapel is grander.<\/p>\n The NYS Department of Health requires funeral homes to show you a price list, if you ask.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t send flowers or pastries. Few apartments can handle a large influx of deliveries.<\/p>\n You won\u2019t go wrong with a classic shiva spread from Russ & Daughters<\/a>, Zabar\u2019s<\/a>, or Murray\u2019s Sturgeon Shop<\/a>. But at Ben\u2019s Kosher Delicatessen<\/a> on Long Island, you\u2019ll be assigned a shiva coordinator who will ensure fresh food is delivered every day of the mourning period.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/db4ce728a86c357e327d4a060a21001d2b-TNYSK-CELEBRATE-SPOT-01.rsquare.w570.png\")
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\u201cShould your event call for candy by color, they stock the rainbow in foil-wrapped chocolate balls and coins, jelly beans, and gumballs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you forget to buy candles, balloons, or sparklers, this store will have what you need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey make the best black-and-white cookie in the city. You can order them in any color combination according to your party palette.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a delicate, chiffony dress that Charlie is very, very careful with.\u201d (882 First Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cShe does a beautiful job quickly. Speed is part of everything I always ever want.\u201d (65 E. 93rd St.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take anyone there. They\u2019re all really good.\u201d (883 First Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a bunch of old Manolo Blahnik shoes. I thought, Should I just throw them out, or should I look at the Leather Spa? They came back like new shoes.\u201d (55 W. 55th St.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI sit in the corner, and I hole up with my phone and my coffee and my iPad and my newspapers and my everything and spend a very cozy hour and a half there.\u201d (1026 First Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Jane Hartley, the ambassador to France and Monaco, came back to New York, I gave a great lunch for her there, which was enormous fun.\u201d (322 W. 46th St.)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3cfc8f6760f26de4a58eb4f95ca80efec2-TNYSK-2-CELEBRATE.rvertical.w570.png\")
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\u201cThey\u2019ll do moth-hole darning with little polka dots, and you can choose different colors, or they can make it into some interesting graphic that can be really artistic.\u201d (28 Jane St.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI always try to fit in a 15-minute chair massage. They\u2019re really good there.\u201d (163 Remsen St., Brooklyn Heights)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had my Varda suede boots reheeled there three times.\u201d (100 Henry St., Brooklyn Heights)<\/p>\n
\u201cMuhsin has been the Picture Room framer for over a decade, and he always does beautiful work. He has a great selection; I especially love his American-grown walnut and oak frames.\u201d (154 Montague St., Brooklyn Heights)<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter is sushi obsessed, so she would like to have Iron Chef House every day of the week. But we have to kind of space it out.\u201d (92 Clark St., Brooklyn Heights)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/e3df49f604a75b23c0a394f696d02e8472-TNYSK-KIDS-SPOT-02.rsquare.w570.png\")
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\u201cThe guy\u2019s a neighborhood legend. He sells records and books and has a big smile and is always helpful.\u201d (480A Madison St., Bedford-Stuyvesant)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cards look like they\u2019re from a warehouse holding inventory from 1991. I take so many pictures of them.\u201d (264 Malcolm X Blvd.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been shopping with Wally and John for 25 years. Not only are they friendly experts; they are also artists and poets themselves. It\u2019s nice to make the steps of the process real and close, if possible.\u201d (3 Wooster St.)<\/p>\n
\u201cThis [eastern bookstore] has imported ink brushes for calligraphy and ink paintings that are either 50 years old or imported from China.\u201d (13-17 Elizabeth St., second fl.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m delighted by the kind of shop where there\u2019s an assortment of little treats that you didn\u2019t know you wanted but you need.\u201d (68 Dean St., Cobble Hill)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0c06322d3d3da137b4ec46b180e96f8c83-TNYSK-LEARN-SPOT-01.rsquare.w570.png\")
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\u201cI go to Alexis Unno for color. She originally convinced me not to color my hair when I was coloring the gray. I thought after that I would trust her with anything.\u201d (540 Park Ave., second fl.)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing I would ever use a cobbler for is to put a sole on a Belgian loafer. I\u2019m sure they think I\u2019m crazy, because I have 100 pairs of Belgian loafers in every color.\u201d (11 Greenwich Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cI wear Ray-Bans and these round glasses from Anglo American that are fitted with my prescription, which is for reading.\u201d (1016 First Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t have strange words associated with sizes. It\u2019s just small, large, extra large, etc.\u201d (482 Sixth Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the one place in the city that actually still makes quite a good cheese souffl\u00e9.\u201d (29 E. 61st St.)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b2304bde590307e3dbf3954f94af460c8c-TNYSK-8-FIT.rvertical.w570.png\")
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\u201cThere\u2019s so much useful, fun crap in there that I\u2019m like, I\u2019ve been wanting a head scratcher.\u201d (51 Ave. A)<\/p>\n
\u201cAvery knows how to read the signs. \u2018Aha,\u2019 he says. \u2018It\u2019s a female.\u2019 If she\u2019s chewing through paper goods, she\u2019s nesting, apparently. Obviously, this is all hypothetical.\u201d (914-368-6872)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very focused. If you want a matcha, you\u2019re not getting it.\u201d (81 E. 7th St.)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe food is so consistently delicious and surprising and not ill-conceived or weird in any way.\u201d (47 E. Houston St.)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an intimate and delicate exchange to get your meds, and the two guys behind the counter are so polite.\u201d (7 Second Ave.)<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dog, when she realizes where we\u2019re headed, trots very happily right to the door.\u201d (241 Eldridge St.)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3672c87f98f5af9f271191ddaf6ed2fc1e-TNYSK-PETS-SPOT-01.rsquare.w570.png\")
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