By Tracy Zwick
The forecast for the next couple of days looks good, and there’s plenty to do, both indoors and out, so … let’s weekend!
August 8th to 10th
”The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” at The Jewish Museum: Friday through Sunday, August 8th through 10th, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 1109 5th Ave. at E. 92nd St.; tickets start at $10
Last chance! It’s worth a minor shlep across Central Park to see this “wonderfully complicated and compelling” exhibition featuring works by Rembrandt, rarely seen in NYC, that depict Queen Esther, the heroine of the book of the Bible that bears her name. It closes Sunday. Not only does the Jewish Museum show offer spectacular depictions by Rembrandt and his circle of Queen Esther, including a magnificent loan from The National Gallery of Canada, it also presents illustrated scrolls, etchings and more, along with scholarship on the Dutch Golden Age fascination with and connection to the beauty who saved the Jewish people. Afterwards, take a walk down Fifth Avenue to the Metropolitan Museum, where every Friday & Saturday night is “Date Night,” with the museum staying open till 9 p.m. Drinks are two-for-one in museum cafes, and the park and city views from the Met’s Roof Garden are among the city’s best.
Great Jazz on Great Hill in Central Park: Saturday, August 9th, 3:30 to 7 p.m.; Central Park (enter at West 106th Street and Central Park West); free
Bring a picnic blanket, snacks and your entire family plus friends for this fun, free outdoor event. World-renowned jazz performers like Josh Evans, Wallace Roney Jr., and the George Gee Swing Orchestra will be playing a mixture of styles, and while dancing is encouraged, lounging is also an option.
It’s peak summer and there’s no better time for sampling frozen delights. Last year, this publication offered a fulsome Ice Cream Guide to the UWS, and there are a few new offerings that deserve mentioning. I’m eager to try the ice cream sandwiches from Super Nice at West 108th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. They had a vegan chocolate ice cream (made in-house) between graham crackers, and a coffee cardamom concoction when I stopped in earlier this week. I’m also curious about the chocolate-dipped soft-serve cone from Softside on West 112th Street just east of Broadway. A favorite of mine from last year, the vegan soft-serve at Pressed on Broadway around West 111th Street, comes in a new-ish flavor: tropical. Made with fruit purees and coconut milk, it’s got an island-y pineapple-banana vibe that makes for a bright, cool summertime treat. Please add your 2025 ice cream faves to the comments!
Reserve Tickets to The New Yorker Festival
It’s one of the highlights of NYC’s fall cultural calendar and some of the events are already sold out, so reserve some time to reserve some tickets to The New Yorker Festival this weekend. It will run from October 7th to 9th and include Sarah Jessica Parker, Zadie Smith, Jonathan Groff, Lina Khan, Salman Rushdie, Keanu Reeves, Garth Greenwell, Annabelle Seldorf, Yiyun Li, and more – the full slate of programming hasn’t even been announced yet! Sadly, there’s already a waitlist for Keanu.
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I love the vegan ice-cream shout-outs; thank you!
Note that the pressed soft-serve isn’t vegan as it includes bee pollen (but maybe could be made vegan if the pollen is a topping and could be excluded).
I scream for Salt & Straw at 77th & Amsterdam when they stopped me in my tracks earlier this week with their seasonal creativity: chocolate chip zucchini bread, tomato gelato with olive brittle, melon with prosciutto and pickled cucumber sorbet!
Keeping with the Morningside Heights ice cream locations I recommend Frozen Love on La Salle.