The greatest things to do in New York this spring
Spring has sprung in NYC. From outdoor food markets to serene cherry blossom sightings, these are the best things to do in the city right now
What does spring mean in New York? It’s the site of crocuses and cherry blossoms in Central Park; walking home from dinner without a jacket or sipping a beer at the first Yankees game of the season. Museums unveil new exhibitions, and vintage markets offer an excellent opportunity for a closet refresh. From the anticipated reopening of The Frick to run clubs across the city, these are the events and places to have on your radar this spring in NYC.
Plus, if you’re arriving in town, be sure to check out our guide to New York’s best hotels.
Seasonal events in New York
Cherry blossom season, across New York
When: March and April
Location: Various locations
Price: Free
Between March and April every year, clouds of cherry blossoms cover New York City. The stretch of Riverside Park from 100 to 125th street in Manhattan is known as Cherry Walk for its swath of beautiful trees. Meanwhile in Brooklyn, cherry blossoms can be found all over Green-Wood Cemetery, a 478-acre green space that’s popular among locals. Main attractions like Central Park and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden are also great places to see vibrant pink cherry blossoms, and both parks offer an interactive tracker so you can be alerted when the trees will achieve peak bloom.
Join a run club
When: Ongoing
Address: Varies
Price: Free
Running clubs have sprung up across New York City. Whether looking to clock some serious mileage or just jog around the block with a like-minded group, there is a run club to suit every fitness level. Look out for spring running dates from Layla in Williamsburg, which is followed by free coffee and mingling at the Australian cafe. Elsewhere, lace up your sneakers and meet up with large groups like Dirty Bird Run Club, which heads along the West Side Highway on Wednesday mornings and Lunge Run Club, which is geared toward singles. Elsewhere, New York Road Runners, the nonprofit that puts on the annual New York City Marathon, hosts group runs all across the city.
Not a Normal Market, Chelsea
When: 14-16 March and 21-23 March 2025
Location: 101 7th Avenue New York, NY
Price: Tickets are priced at 20 USD
New York City has some of the coolest thrift stores around. The shopping scene gets even better when Not a Normal Market comes to town. Taking place over two weekends in March, the event transforms the former Barneys flagship in Chelsea with a vast array of vintage stalls and independent retailers selling clothing and home decor. Designer pieces and high quality secondhand items are on display alongside local artisans and designers. You might find a midcentury lamp, a Burberry trench or an original vintage film poster. Be sure to reserve a ticket – this event often sells out.
Queens Night Market
When: Every Saturday from April 12, 4pm to midnight
Location: 47-01 111th Street Queens, NY
Price: Free entry
This local-favorite food market returns to Flushing Meadow Corona Park, bringing together more than 100 vendors. Sample world cuisine including Mexican huaraches, Korean BBQ lettuce wraps and Jamaican curry goat stew, while a price cap ensures that no dish costs more than 6 USD for a single serving. Alongside the food, browse locally-produced and handmade art, jewellery and ceramics, and take in nightly performances from local artists.
The best exhibitions in New York
The Frick Collection
When: From April 17, 2025
Address: 1 East 70th Street New York, NY
Price: 30 USD per person
Following a five year renovation, The Frick Collection is reopening on New York’s Upper East Side, occupying a historic Gilded Age mansion. Known for housing some of the most coveted pieces in the art world, the new space will premiere with works from Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The reopening also marks the first time that the second floor will be open to the public, which originally served as the private living quarters of the Frick family. Marvel at sprawling ceiling murals and intricate carved woodwork, plus smaller scale paintings and decorative objects from the family’s collection.
Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities at The Museum at FIT
When: Through April 20, 2025
Location: 227 West 27th Street New York, NY
Price: Free
The Fashion Institute of Technology holds the only museum in New York dedicated entirely to the history of fashion. A new exhibition digs into the German tradition of keeping wunderkammern, or ‘cabinets of curiosities’. Often seen as the precursor to modern museums, cabinets of curiosity were kept during the Age of Exploration (from the 15th to the 17th centuries). More than 200 garments and accessories are on display that pay homage to these early collections, ranging from specimen jars containing glittery earrings to heels covered in life-like butterflies and an eye-catching Tom Ford zebra gown.
Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers at Guggenheim Museum
When: 18 April 2025 – 18 Jan 2026
Location: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
Price: 30 USD
A new major exhibition at the Guggenheim honors the Chicago-born artist Rashid Johnson. Transforming the museum’s rotunda, the solo show brings together almost 90 large-scale works, which explore themes of race, cultural identity and art history. Expansive mosaics incorporate shea butter, wood, soap, mirror and ceramics, while a piano has been installed for musical performances. Look out for a dynamic programme of events to complement the exhibition, announced later this year.
The Museum of Sex: Looking at Andy Looking
When: Ongoing
Location: 233 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016
Price: Tickets cost 36-50 USD
Iconic pop artist Andy Warhol is best known for transforming everyday goods, celebrity culture and mass media into vibrant silk screens. However, at the Museum of Sex in Flatiron, a new show celebrates a more intimate side of the creator. The exhibition features three silent films shot by Warhol in 1964 titled Sleep, Blow Job and Couch, which highlight the artist’s fascination with sex, desire and their intersections with art and culture. The show gives a raw glimpse into how Warhol’s exploration of desire influenced his innovative pop-art vision.
The best bars in New York
Schmuck.
When: Ongoing
Address: 97 First Avenue New York, NY
Easily the hottest bar opening in NYC in quite some time, Schmuck. is the latest venture from acclaimed bartenders Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy. Their former Barcelona outpost, Two Schmucks is considered one of the best bars in the world, which they launched as a ‘five star dive bar’. Occupying a buzzy corner in the East Village, Schmuck. takes a culinary approach to mixology in a setting that feels like your coolest friend’s living room. Playful names include Bread With Tomatoes – a savory vodka highball – or the Fika, which taste like a cozy warm cinnamon bun turned cocktail. Be forewarned: It’s tough to get in the door. Your best bet is to swing by when the bar opens at 5pm to get your name on the list or scour Resy to secure one of the limited number of reservations released for each night.
Majesty’s Pleasure
When: Ongoing
Address: 45 East 20th Street New York, NY
Price: Nail services from 36 USD, memberships from 85 USD per month
Majesty’s Pleasure is a nail salon with a full cocktail bar that’s designed as a gathering place for busy New Yorkers. The salon, which debuted in Toronto last year, describes its new outpost as “New York’s first social beauty club” and hopes that visitors will meet up with friends for some routine beauty maintenance and catch up with a cocktail while doing it. You don’t have to be a member to visit the newly opened Flatiron location, but opt to join the club and you’ll get a set number of manicures or pedicures each month, discounted products and services, plus a glass of bubbly, coffee, or tea each time you visit.
Café Zaffri
When: Early February
Location: 16 E. 16th Street, New York, NY 10003
With their origins in the 19th century, members clubs in New York are nothing novel, but in recent years Manhattan has experienced a swell of new venues – a movement started by Casa Cipriani and Zero Bond. Next up in early February comes London export The Twenty Two, a nine-storey hotel that includes a members-only club and Levantine restaurant open to all comers. Helmed by the female team behind Soho’s Italian-French hit Raf’s, Café Zaffri is set within a 2,100 sq ft space with wood-panelled walls and amber and burgundy accents. Its all-day menu is inspired by executive chef Mary Attea’s Lebanese heritage; expect dishes like chicken liver mousse with cardamom and pistachios, and lamb wellington.
