April Activities to Check Out in NYC

Hello spring in New York City! As the weather gets warmer, the activities get better. It’s so cool to see all the new pop-ups and experiences coming to town. I like to find a variety of activities that are great for both family and friends- so if you have kids, there are definitely some great options to check out here. Whether you’re in town visiting or you live here and are looking for something fun to do, I’ve got you covered!

Roller Skate at the TWA Hotel

We’ve been ice skating for a few months now, which is always so much fun! But roller skating is something I don’t think we get that often here. The TWA Hotel at JFK is transforming their tarmac into a roller rink! How cool is that?! They’ll have play retro tunes for you to enjoy every weekend and you can finish up your night at their cocktail lounge. Skates are available for rental, as well, so no worries if you don’t own any! Grab some friends and head over there, it opens on the 15th!

Photography: TWA Hotel

Color Factory

The Color Factory is getting new confetti colors! Their confetti room changes each season to reflect the colors in Central Park. This spring, they’ve gone with purple- to model after the beautiful lilacs that are beginning to bloom in the park now. It will be the color of the room until June, when they switch for the summer! If you aren’t familiar with this establishment, they are an interactive art museum located in Soho. They have different installations, immersive rooms, collaborate with new artists, the fun goes on! This is perfect to bring your kids to if you’re looking for something fun to do, or just yourself, as it’s totally for everyone!

Photography:  Color Factory via Instagram

CMOM Spring Activities

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan has a ton going on this month for your kids to enjoy! On the 16th ad 17th, they will be celebrating Easter Weekend! There will be an Easter scavenger hunt, bunny ears crafting, basket weaving, musical performances and puppets! Additionally, they are celebrating 75 years of India’s independence, so they will be hosting fabric and textile design classes, Warli painting, Eco Architecture and so much more! If you’re looking for something fun to do with your kiddies this month- and Easter weekend- you’ll want to go here!

Flatiron/NoMad Things To Do:

If you haven’t been to Flatiron lately, there’s a lot going on there! Here’s some fun experiences to check out: The Harry Potter Store and Experience, Rizzoli Bookstore and The Lego Store. Also some cool things going on in the area are the last Sunday of every month, the Poster House has a free family-friendly art tour and experience where you can make art, Escape Room Madness if you want to do an escape room with friends and Fotografiska a space for cool photography is a great experience. Not to mention, Madison Square Park is just steps away, this area has it all!

Photography: Van Engelen, C/O MSP

The Hugh

Welcome The Hugh, Midtown East’s newest food hall that has over 15 different restaurants and bars to check out! They offer dine-in, take-out, catering and private events and are open on the weekends now! I love finding new places to eat, so I’m excited to try this out! They now have live entertainment, family fun and special events on the weekends. Open from 8AM through 11PM Saturdays and until 9PM Sundays. Jam with Jamie is there Saturdays now from 11AM-11:45AM, if you are looking for something fun to do with your kids!

Photography: The Hugh

Dance on a Yacht

Yes, you read that right! You can party on a yacht! There are two floors to this yacht-one is like an indoor club and then there’s the roof, which has phenomenal views of the city! There are several dates from April-August you can choose to grab tickets for, but note that they are prompt, so you’ll want to be on time to not miss the boat! Tickets are priced by tier and it’s a 4 hour event. Grab some friends and go have fun!

Photography: Bucket Listers

Eggventure

Hudson Yards is hosting a virtual egg hunt this year! There are 10 eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny and you can use your phone to find them! You’ll need to download the Membit app and on April 1st, the egg hunt will go live. There will be clues given and all you’ll have to do is hover your phone to align the images and click “here” to reveal the hidden eggs. Once you get all 10 eggs, you’ll receive 15% off at Dylan’s Candy Bar up on the 4th floor at Hudson Yards. This is a super fun activity for kids that will be going on all month leading up to the holiday!

Photography: Eggventure, Hudson Yards

Watch a Movie Outdoors

What’s better than watching a movie outside when it’s nice out? There’s something so romantic about it! Or not-if you want it to be totally platonic! Skyline Drive-In has a really fun drive-in experience and stunning views of the city. They also film for SNL there, if you’re curious!

Photography: Bucket Listers

Go-Karting on Ice

Friday-Sunday, you can go Go-Karting on ice in Staten Island! This is something that was around for the holidays in the city, but is sticking around for a bit now! I think this is a really fun activity for a birthday or group get together. Have you tried this? If not, it’s a must-do!

Photography: Bucket Listers

Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22nd, and it’s a day where we make sure we focus on the importance of our planet and keeping it clean. If we take care of our planet, it will be a better place for our children and grandchildren. There are a ton of sustainability events going on that you can check out here! But if that’s not your thing, you can work on a zero-waste project or watch an informative documentary. Any time and energy put into bettering this planet is never a waste!

Photography: NYC Go

Industry Kitchen

Looking for a great Easter Brunch option? Industry Kitchen has some amazing specials going on for Easter Sunday! This includes Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, Maine Lobster Pizza and Poached White Asparagus. Sounds amazing to me! They also offer fantastic outdoor seating and there’s a lot of it, if you’re looking for that!

Photography: Industry Kitchen

The Rockaway Hotel

Queens has a lot to offer! This is the closest getaway spot, which is perfect if you aren’t looking to go too far. It can be fun to plan a weekend jam packed with activities, but there’s something to be said about a place that has everything ready for you at your fingertips, with no planning needed on your end.

The Rockaway Hotel and Spa, Rockaway Park, New York.

What to do:

The Rockaway Hotel has everything you need for the ultimate “staycation”.  To start with, the rooms are absolutely amazing! You even have the choice of bungalows, which are great if you have kids and want more space for the weekend! They have their own restaurant and rooftop to enjoy eating at, as well as cute local spots. Obviously, the spa is my favorite part! You can choose from a variety of facials and massages, including couples packages. What’s super cool, is that in the winter, they have outdoor saunas to enjoy! They also offer wellness classes, which is always a great option. It’s located right near the water, so if you want to take a walk on the beach, you can easily get there! From April 18th-22nd, the hotel will be a family weekend with games, movies, arts and crafts and more! You can go to the spa, join fitness classes or dine in, while your kids are taking fun classes! Use the code: FAMWEEK for some great rates! On the 17th, they will be having a whole Easter event, where there will be an egg hunt, family photos and a special visit from the Easter Bunny. With two seatings at 11am and 1pm, you can’t miss this special event! The food will be fantastic-sweet pastries, charcuterie, brunch, main dishes, different stations and so much more! For all the specifics, look here!

Sakura Matsuri Cherry Festival

The annual festival is back at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! If you haven’t been there before, you absolutely must check it out, as it is one of the most beautiful things in the city! It’s a celebration of Japanese culture and you can see the blooming Cherry Blossom trees. Tickets are on sale already! You can bring your kids, too, as this is kid-friendly!

Photography: Julie Markes, c/0 Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Easter Parade

The Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival is here for the holiday! From 10AM-4PM on 5th Avenue in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, you can celebrate Easter Sunday. This is a free event and while there is no official parade this year, it’s still really nice to dress up and get together with everyone to celebrate the holiday. So if you’re up for it, I think it’s totally worth going!

Photography: NY Latin Culture

Veranda, Soho Easter Brunch

Veranda will be having a fabulous Easter brunch and egg hunt on the 17th! There will also be a cocktail cart featuring Moet Mimosas and St. Germain Spritz. The menu is a la carte and you will definitely need a reservation! Meanwhile, the egg hunt will be taking place on all four terraces of ModernHaus Hotel from 10-10:30 for ages 1-3 and 10:45-11:15 for ages 4-8. Those tickets are $30/child and include the egg hunt, basket, children’s brunch and coffee/tea for caregivers.

Photography: Veranda, Soho

The Whitney Biennial

The Whitney Biennial is a an event that has been around for almost 100 years now! It began in 1932 and is the longest running exhibition of art here in America. Over 3,600 artists have participated in this biennial and this year it’s called The Whitney Biennial: Quiet as it’s Kept. It’s running April 6th-September 5th, so you don’t need to run to grab tickets as it’ll be here awhile, but at the same time, you don’t want to wait to check it out!

Rooftop Bars

It’s rooftop bar season! There’s nothing better than hanging out on a breezy rooftop bar, enjoying the day or night with good friends. While there is no such thing as a bad rooftop bar in NYC, there are a few honorable mentions that I’d like to include, as they are some favorites of mine: JIMMY, Loopy Doopy, Refinery Rooftop, Republica, The Ready Rooftop, Elsie and the Spyglass. Check these out and let me know which are your favorites or if there are any I should add to my list!

Photography: JIMMY. soho c/o @mathildegaunoux on Instagram

MLB

Major League Baseball is back! Yankees and Mets games will begin this month! This is such a fun activity to do with friends or bring your kids to. What’s more American than going to a baseball game and enjoying some snacks in the spring weather?

Photography: Loving-New York

Little Island

If you haven’t been to Little Island yet, now is the time! It’s located on Pier 55 and a great place to sit on the grass and hang out at. The tourism aspect of it has relaxed a little, so it shouldn’t be as crowded as it was when it first opened. They have food spots in there too, if you get hungry!

Photography: Little Island, NY

International Pillow Fight Day

April 7th is International Pillow Fight Day. Do what you’d like with this information, but I thought I’d include it because it’s just funny and we need a little laughter these days, after the past few years!

National Burrito Day

Now this one, I can get behind! April 4th is National Burrito Day- so you know what to get for dinner now! A bunch of places will be participating and offering specials that day, but to note, El Vez will have them for lunch from 1-4PM. Where is your favorite burrito in the city?

Photography: El Vez NYC on Instagram

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is getting rid of their ice rink and replacing it with a roller rink! If you aren’t able to get to the other rink listed above, this is a great option, as it’s in the center of the city and open throughout the week. It’s 1940’s retro-style and opens on the 15th! On the 24th, they will be having Spring Sunday from 2-5PM, which will feature live performances by the Rock & Roll Playhouse, The Climate Museum art, Greenthumb’s take home gardens, food and so much more! It’s always important to celebrate our planet and be conscientious, especially for Earth Day!

Photography: The New York Times

Brooklyn Marathon

Finishing up with a great event: the Brooklyn Marathon! This will be taking place on April 24th in Williamsburg. It’s a full and half marathon. You can check out this site for all the details, including how to watch and support friends if you aren’t running.

 

For more NYC things to do, visit here!