The holidays are over but there’s no time for the January doldrums when then there is so much to do and see in our fabulous city. But first, the rise of anti-Semitism we saw this holiday season is appalling and unacceptable. Stand up to anti-Semitism this Sunday at Foley Square. Did you know we have two new museums? One for ice cream lovers, and one for photography lovers. The city will be alive with jazz this month. Movie lovers can head to Lincoln Center for the Jewish Film Festival. Wave Hill has free admission days. And if you love art, join the 3Ts for a gallery hopping tour during Old Masters Week. Valerie Smaldone has a wonderful story about love, which the world could use a whole lot more of. And Sandi Durell has the latest cabaret updates.

Jan. 5. New York’s Solidarity March

Head to Foley Square at 11:00 am  as Jewish leaders call for tri-state Jews, “our friends in the Black community” and friends and supporters in every other community as well “come out and stand with us” in a solidarity march and rally to say “NO to Anti-Semitism.” The march will cross the Brooklyn Bridge to Cadman Plaza. Get more details.

Feb. 1. Gallery Hopping on the UES for Old Masters Week

Join us on a private guided tour with art historian Nadja Hansen when the usually cloistered Old Masters galleries throw open their doors, for one week only. This is the preeminent event of the year exhibiting and celebrating Old Master drawings (along with some painting and sculpture). This 2-hour tour from E. 66 to E. 93 will feature the best of this exciting week of art. You will see exquisite art almost never on view, get a sense of the market for old masters, and see beautiful galleries rarely open to the public. 

ONLY 9 tickets left. $48 for NYC Insider Club Members, $58 for non-members. Get tickets here.

Jan. 7 – 28. Free days at Wave Hill

January is a great time to visit Wave Hill cultural center in the Bronx, and and you can enjoy Free Admission on Tuesday and Saturday. The beautiful 28-acre public garden overlooking the Hudson River is beautiful all year long.  Enjoy garden tours, hikes, and lectures. Get the details.

Jan. 9-18. Jazz Festival

Winter Jazzfest is back in clubs all over Manhattan and Brooklyn and includes 150 artists playing. This year’s artist in residence is Mark Guiliana, and the lineup includes Seu Jorge, Makaya McCraven, a celebration of Detroit’s jazz heritage and late trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, as well as a special centennial tribute to Art Blakey featuring more than a dozen drummers. Gilles Peterson will once again present a showcase of British talent, including Moses Boyd, Kokoroko, Sarathy Korwar, and Poppy Ajudha. Get the details.

Jan. 15-28. Jewish Film Festival

Head to Lincoln Center for The New York Jewish Film Festival showcasing films that investigate, record, and celebrate the Jewish experience. This year’s Festival presents an engaging lineup of narratives, documentaries, and shorts, from restored classics to world premieres. Highlights include Aulcie, the inspiring documentary about Aulcie Perry, the legendary athlete who put Israeli basketball on the map; The Birch Tree Meadow, an autobiographical film by the late, iconoclastic French New Wave documentarian Marceline Loridan-Ivens, about an Auschwitz survivor confronting her past; and Crescendo, a gripping drama about a conductor’s efforts to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra. The 2020 Festival offers a wide range of selections that will captivate film lovers of all backgrounds. Get details and tickets.

Now- March 1.  Museum of Ice Cream

Head to SOHO for a interactive ice cream experience that features 13 installations across 3 floors.  You’ll find imaginative, multi-sensory installations that bring to life your most delightful dreams: savor the sweetest treats on a magical floating table, slide down an epic three-story slide, take a celestial ride on a pink MOIC subway, and follow the sound of buzz to a giant “Queen Bee” hive. Taste signature flavors and ice cream treats along the way, before taking a dive into the largest Sprinkle Pool yet! 558 Broadway. Tickets $39.00

Fotografiska a New Museum for Photography

Fotografiska New York is a unique museum that comes to us from Stockholm and will feature the world’s best photography. It recently opened in a beautifully restored 1894 landmark building  in the Flatiron district. The museum will offer a dynamic mix of world-class art, cultural events and retail alongside epicurean dining, which will include a new European “grand cafe” called Veronika, scheduled to open this month, from restauranteur Stephen Starr whose restaurants include Buddkan and Upland. Check it out.