Summer solstice is upon us. Iced coffees are everywhere and the rosé is flowing. New York is balmy, bustling and – as usual – bountiful in its offerings. Dream Downtown will keep you cool in the pool. Overthrow Boxing will get you ripped in the ring. Brooklyn Bowl will have you dancing to disco. As you’ll see from June’s list of winners, New York is showing the rest of the world how it’s done.
TriBeCa Film Festival
Among the world’s film festivals, TriBeCa has one of the most tragic yet touching origin stories. Robert DeNiro felt that New York needed direction following the tragedy of September 11th, and put the festival together to spur regrowth and revitalisation. 23 years on, this film festival is one of the most revered in the industry. With over 13,000 submissions vying for 103 spots, spanning from up-and-coming directors to industry giants, the selection holds great promise. Keep your eyes peeled for Daddio starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, Firebrand starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law, and J.J. Abrams’s series premiere, Presumed Innocent starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
When? June 6, 2024 - June 16, 2024
Where? TriBeCa
How much? From $15
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn Bowl epitomises Brooklyn cool. Like many of the best Williamsburg haunts, this establishment, too, repurposed an iron factory into an electric nightlife scene. The impressively sized disco ball adjacent to stylishly lit bowling lanes is the perfect place to let loose after a day of working hard in the city. Some notable past performers include Guns N’ Roses, Elvis Costello and The Roots. This June, Brooklyn Bowl will be opening its doors while the sun is up to play David Bowie hits for patrons of all ages. What better setting to get the younger generation interested in the older hits could there be?
When? June 9, 2024
Where? Brooklyn Bowl
How much? $16
The Beach at Dream Downtown
There are a million ways to enter a pool besides the stairs. Words to live by, figuratively and literally. If you’re in search of the aforementioned pool to test your entrances, we’d suggest the glass bottomed pool at Dream Downtown. Depending on the day you find yourself there, you’ll either be relaxing in an oasis with imported sand or dancing on someone's shoulders sipping a glass or three of rosé. Our advice, from experience, would be to drop in early on a Saturday and do both.
When? Wednesdays - Sundays through summer
Where? Dream Downtown
How much? From $55
Juneteenth Food Festival
Juneteenth, which commemorates the ending of slavery, is the most recent federal holiday. As nothing brings a community together quite like delicious food and solid tunes, the Juneteenth Food Festival is simply ideal. While every single one of the 40+ vendors has incredible appeal, we’ve got soft spots for the chicken and waffles served up by Cornbread Farm to Soul, rounded off by a red velvet mouth explosion from Doc’s Cakeshop. If you’re looking for a southern experience in the northeast, this is it.
When? June 15, 2024
Where? Crown Heights, Brooklyn
How much? Prices Vary
Juneteenth Food Festival
Overthrow
This underground boxing club in the Lower East Side was built on a foundation of intense physical training and emotional positivity. Look good. Feel good. Credits. A number of spaces remain in the “Ripper” six week transformation. During this program, you’re going to be building muscle twice a week “with a group of like-minded individuals.” Tuesdays at 6:30pm will have you going to town on your upper body and core. Sundays at 10am will have you exhausting your lower body. Sprinkle in an extra five combat classes and you’ll be ready to take on anything, or anyone.
When? Begins June 4, 2024
Where? Overthrow Boxing Club
How much? $399
L’Antagoniste
Bed Stuy is hitting that sweet spot that Williamsburg thrived in fifteen years ago. The bakeries, cheese shops and local stores are quaint and thoughtful, and the restaurateurs are passionate. L’Antagoniste is a shining example of exactly that. This Michelin-rated French restaurant caters to friends and neighbours, using ingredients both local and seasonal for food that’s “honest.” Neglecting to mention the Poulet en Vessie wouldn’t sit right with us, it’s that good. Only available on Sundays with a reservation, this dish-for-two is as succulent as it is aesthetically pleasing.
When? Now available on Sundays with a reservation
Where? L’Antagoniste
How much? $90
Sleep No More
After a highly successful 13-year run, Sleep No More is finally going to rest its weary head. This interactive and provocative film noir experience draws inspiration from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. However, for the most part, the actors in this particular reimagining rarely communicate with dialogue, using body language instead. Spanning across countless rooms in The McKittrick Hotel, visitors are encouraged to find their own path through the darkness… or perhaps, get lost in it. In some cases, the actors will acknowledge your presence, while in others, you’ll be but “a ghost”. Of all of the cities in the world that it could have called home, none have made more sense than Gotham.
When? Until 16 June, 2024
Where? The McKittrick Hotel
How much? $160.50
Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swiss Beatz and Alicia Keys
Swiss Beatz and Alicia Keys' phenomenal contributions to music are legendary. Lesser known is the depth of their appreciation of fine art. That is sure to change now that they have debuted their extensive collection at the Brooklyn Museum. Grand in scale and virtuosity, the aptly named Giants exhibit features 98 works of art by African diasporic artists. The Dean has set out to support and showcase these artists and in the process they’ve started a public conversation on subjects as large as the collection itself.
When? Until 7 July 2024
Where? Brooklyn Museum
How much? $26
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