Good Morning, New York!
Did you know? On November 21, 1964, the Verrazzano‑Narrows Bridge in New York City officially opened to traffic. At the time, it was the longest suspension-bridge span in the world.
In today’s NYC Newsletter:
Best events this weekend
Mahjong club, magic show
Zohran Mamdani to meet President Trump
Let’s get to it.
– Sofia Kurd.
New York Question Of The Day
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Top 10 Best Events
Fri–Sat — ’Tis the Season: Oatly × Mango Mango Hot Chocolate Series
Dairy-free hot chocolate pop-up across Flushing, Union Square, and Long Island City.Fri, 7:30pm — David Sedaris: An Evening With @ The Town Hall
Live performance from the acclaimed humor writer in Times Square.Fri, 8pm — Ariel Pink: “You Every Night Tour 2025” @ Sony Hall
Indie/experimental pop-rock performance.Fri–Wed — WICKED: For Good Soundtrack Boutique
Pop-up themed around the musical’s soundtrack featuring collectibles and props.Fri–Jan 4 — Lightscape @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden
After-dark illuminated garden walk with large-scale light installations.Fri thru Dec 21 — The Christmas Shop at the Church of Sweden
A seasonal Nordic gift market in Midtown offering crafts, ornaments, and holiday treats. Open Wed–Sat.Fri–Sun – DUMBO Film Festival 2025
Showcasing 37 films selected from over 2,000 global submissions at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge.Sat & Sun — The Nutcracker @ Brookfield Place Winter Garden
New York Theatre Ballet returns with Keith Michael’s Art Nouveau–inspired production in FiDi. Advance tickets are sold out; limited walk-ups available on first-come, first-served.Sat — Modern Whitney: Where Comedians Interpret Art @ Caveat
A panel of comedians gives humorous interpretations of fine art before an expert sets the record straight. LES venue Caveat.Sun, 4:05pm — Cover-Up Sneak Preview + Q&A @ The Paris Theater
Screening of Cover-Up, a new documentary on Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, followed by a Q&A with Hersh and director Laura Poitras, moderated by Mira Nair. Midtown.
We’ve tracked down some of the best hidden gems in the city to try this fall:
A social club dedicated to the game of Mahjong (Hong Kong style) in NYC. Young adults, mix of serious players and social newcomers; events include teaching hour + open play + dinner parties. The “playing mahjong meets nightlife/social mixer” concept is modern and unexpected.
A fabulous magic show by illusionist Dan White. It feels like you're in a secret club—velvet room, close-up tricks, mind-reading, and no phones allowed. Shows often sell out weeks ahead.
Interactive, immersive art-tech museum: 36,000 sq ft of projection rooms, sound installations, 360° experiences.
Enter a real cocktail lounge in NYC, but the night shifts into interactive theater: characters around you perform drama, comedy, gossip—all unfolding in real time and you’re in the room.
A community garden tucked on the Lower East Side (247 E 2nd St) created by artists; it hosts readings, performances and art events in a quiet green space.
Local News
Zohran Mamdani is set to meet Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, November 21. The meeting comes after public sparring and will focus on issues like public safety and affordability. Politico
Mayor-elect Mamdani says his meeting with Trump is “an opportunity to make the case for New Yorkers.” He emphasized affordability and public-safety as key agenda items in his first Oval Office sit-down. CBS News
A developer sues NYC over parkland redesignation at Elizabeth Street Garden. A lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court challenges the city’s decision to convert the contested site into parkland, accusing the administration of bypassing required land-use review procedures. New York Post
The Federal Bureau of Investigation spied on a private Signal group chat of NYC immigration-rights activists. Documents reveal the agency accessed encrypted group chats operated by “court-watch” immigration observers in the city. The Guardian
A wave of NYC restaurant openings rolls into November. From a retro-futurist cocktail bar in Alphabet City to ultra-premium grocery in Tribeca, New York’s food/venue openings reflect a wide variety of tastes and boroughs. Eater NY
Meta opens a two-story retail pop-up on Fifth Avenue featuring AI glasses. The tech giant’s NYC store mixes Ray-Ban/Oakley AI glasses, skate-culture visuals and high-design retail. Business Insider
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue bonuses to air-traffic controllers who worked through shutdown. Affected controllers at NYC area airports are set to receive bonus pay after disruptions in past federal shutdowns. ABC7 New York
NYC Fact Of The Day
George Washington used a secret spy ring in New York City that helped win the Revolutionary War.
During the British occupation of NYC, Washington oversaw the Culper Spy Ring—a network of merchants, a farmer, a code-maker, and even a female agent still known only by the alias "Agent 355." They smuggled intelligence out of Manhattan using invisible ink, coded letters, laundry-line signals, and dead-drop locations across Long Island and lower Manhattan.
Their intel exposed a British plan to kidnap Washington, uncovered Benedict Arnold’s treason, and helped the Continental Army intercept troop movements. The center of revolutionary espionage wasn't a battlefield—it was Manhattan coffee houses and taverns filled with British officers.
New Yorkers Through History
The Man Who Turned New York Into a City of Parks
In the mid-1800s, Calvert Vaux, a British-born architect living in New York, sketched a vision for a massive public green space in the middle of Manhattan—a place regular people could stroll, picnic, row boats, and escape the chaos of the city. Partnering with landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, he co-designed Central Park and later helped shape Prospect Park, Riverside Park, Morningside Park, and dozens of smaller public spaces across the city.
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