We are so excited to introduce Andrea Peponakis who will be curating our new Spotlight on Long Island which this week includes the Gold Coast Book Fair. Head to the rooftop of the Met for cocktails and a new art installation. There’s now a Night Market at Lincoln Center and check out Black Restaurant Week. The Blue Note Jazz Festival is here, the Intrepid has free Friday nights, and Hudson Yards has a full season of outdoor programs. And our roving photographer is roving at the Guggenheim. Happy summer!!!

Spotlight on Long Island

Meet Andrea Peponakis, a native Long Islander who especially loves summer on Long Island with its stunning beaches, vibrant festivals, endless outdoor activities, hidden gems, diverse and abundant dining options, and home to the very best wineries and breweries. She’ll be sharing her top finds each week. Andrea is a retired foreign language teacher who then became a local newspaper journalist and local radio show host. Inspired by her three grandchildren, she is the author of several children’s books. Checkout Her Finds Today

New Art Installation on Met’s Rooftop + Cocktails

Every year the Met commissions and artist for a rooftop display. This year those chose Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj (born 1986, Kostërc, former Yugoslavia) to create a site-specific installation. It’s the artist’s first major project in the United States, and Halilaj has transformed The Met Roof with a sprawling sculptural installation. On Friday and Saturday evenings through the fall, you can also enjoy the rooftop bar, for cocktails and snacks, with a stunning view of Central Park. Get all the details on the exhibit.

Halilaj’s work is deeply connected to the recent history of his native country, Kosovo, and the consequences of cultural and political tensions in the region. After a formative period in Italy, where he studied art at the Accademia di Brera in Milan, he moved to Berlin in 2008, where he still lives and works. His projects encompass a variety of media, including sculpture, drawing, poetry, and performance. GET THE DETAILS.

Watch the interview with the artist.

Roving at the Guggenhein

Ascending the corkscrew climb of the Frank Lloyd Wright Guggenheim Museum is a unique experience defined differently every time by its current exhibition.

Through September 29th Jenny Holzer: Light Line is up and running. Her words envelop the visitor in LED lights, delivering messaging from her well-known series Truism and Inflammatory Essays, harkening back to a similar exhibit there in 1989. Updated with new technology and double the corkscrew content, her analytical voice of the past is unfortunately still relevant. The installation includes a variety of work commenting on the political debacle of January 6th and wars of yore, applicable today.

I have always been a Holzer fan, and I am always drawn to text in art, however, I must warn you, seeing so much of Holzer’s work at once, can be overwhelmingly sad. That said, Light Lines is definitely worth experiencing and the setting of the museum space truly lends itself to the overall mood of the artist’s work.

Night Market at Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center is the place to be this summer. In addition to the Summer for the City Events, including all kinds of performances, they are launching a Night Market. You’ll be able to enjoy a variety of food and drink options every night from Wednesday to Sunday through August. Vendors include Vendors include Bunnan, which offers Haitian cuisine on the go, Cocotazo, a Mexican staple in Harlem, and Harlem Seafood Soul, a food truck located at 125th Street, which will offer mouthwatering soul food at the night market. Get more details.

Free Fridays at the Intrepid Museum

Tickets are usually $36, but on June 28, July 26, and August 23, you can explore the museum for free from 5 PM to 8:30 PM. It’s a great thing to do with kids, and out of towners, or just to visit on your own. Oh, and they have movie

Check the Intrepid Museum’s online calendar for Free Friday programming details as the dates approach. The Intrepid Museum is located at Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue) along the Hudson River.

Now – June 30. Black Restaurant Week

Celebrating the flavors of African American, African, and Caribbean cuisine. Discover Black-owned restaurants and culinary businesses in NYC and the Tri-State area.   There over over 80 participating restaurants, including Red Rooster Harlem, Cascade Jerk, Twins BBQ Co., Collective Fare, Tamarind Island, Voila Afrique, Misfits Nutrition, Brooklyn Blend, Negril Village, Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, The Real Mothershuckers and many more.  GET ALL THE DETAILS.

Backyard at Hudson Yards

Summer at Hudson Yards has a full-season season of outdoor programming at Hudson Yards! From sports watch parties on the Big Screen to live entertainment, wellness, fun with the family, weekly DJ Jam sessions, and Backyard Bites providing a wide range of food truck offerings. Check it out.

Now-July 1. The Blue Note Jazz Festival

Andra Day, Wynton Marsalis, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ezra Collective  more fabulous jazz artist are all part of the  Blue Note Jazz . The shows take place at iconic venues: Sony Hall, SummerStage, Town Hall, Brooklyn Bowl, and Jazz At Lincoln Center. Feel NYC’s music scene! GET THE SCHEDULE.