Fall in the City

Cecilie Nag
Staff Writer

New York City in autumn means fall fashion, Central Park glowing in beautiful colors, sports events including the Yankees and Knicks, soulful concerts at various ven¬ues, and so much more. Here’s a to-do list for a city visit in the upcoming months:

“New York City in the fall means warm, comfy, fashionable clothes, with hot choco¬late from Starbucks. Walking around with my girlfriends admiring all the skyscrapers and the pulse of the city,” said Bianca Rahimza¬deh, a sophomore public relations major. This October she can enjoy the fall exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue for a student price of $12. The Met is exhibiting Andy Warhol’s influence on contemporary art, including45 of his works, accompanied by 100 works by various artists, as well as a show called Manipulated Photo¬graphs Before Photoshop. For a full schedule and more exhibition-information, visit www.metmuseum.org.

If you want more art and history, move towards the Bart Graduate Center Gallery, lo-cated between Central Park West and Colum¬bus Avenue. On 18 West 86thStreet, you can learn how the circus changed New York City, viewing their current exhibition running from October 13ththroughFebruary 3rd. With over 200 artifacts, such as posters, photographs and costumes, you can explore the stories of P.T Barnum and John Bill Ricketts, and the stages of New York’s first circus.

Cold temperatures do not mean that the city can’t be enjoyed outside too. “This is my first fall in New York City, and so far I love it,” said Christine Stronegger, a sophomore film major. She describes a perfect October day in the city with a hot cup of coffee under colored leaves in Central Park, followed by window shopping in Soho’s many vintage stores. On October 31st she could also catch the Village Halloween Parade walking from 6th Avenue and Spring Street, through16thstreet, exhibiting costume-clad people celebrating Halloween. It’s free and runs from until 8:30 pm. “Finally I would go downtown to the Brooklyn Bridge and take pictures with my camera of the breath taking sunset,” she said. This fall the third pier has opened, with 73 picnic tables, 22 barbecues, and three outdoor sports fields, all with a view of lower Manhat¬tan across the East River.

Both Brooklyn and Manhattan offers various venues for concerts this fall. “The musicians on the streets are doing their thing. I like meeting strangers, and going to music bars such as The Bitter End (137 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village), enjoying new undiscovered talents while having some good wine,” said Ramizadeh. As usual, the New York music scene is filled with known and less known artists and performances in all genres. Register for free at songkick.com to follow your favorite artists’ tour dates, and check stubhub.com for discounted tickets. Next month, superstars Justin Bieber, Madonna, and Alicia Keys are all coming to the Big Apple. Fun, known for one of this summer’s biggest hits, “We Are Young”, performs on October 30th, and mellow voices such as the XX, and Cat Power are scheduled for concerts late October. Check eventful.com for more artists and details. But it isn’t just musicians taking the scene.

Starting November 1st, the Knicks appear in Madison Square Garden with several home games throughout each month. With the New York Comedy Festival from November 7thto November 11th, actor and comedian Kevin Hart takes the stage at the Garden on Novem¬ber 10th. Go to nycomedyfestival.com for a full schedule and the opportunity to buy tickets to the shows.

“A perfect fall day in the city would need to include sun, and it should not be rainy or windy,” said Mimmi Montgomery, a junior journalism major. “A stroll in Central Park with friends, lunch in a nice place, and shop¬ping for really nice autumn clothes after,” she described. Stores such as ZARA, Topshop and Urban Outfitters are filled with the trendy colors of this fall, including lots of grey, bur¬gundy, French roast, honey gold, and green, to mention a few. Knits, coats, scarves, and boots have arrived to present a warm and trendy look. At Topshop, students get a 10% discount by showing their school-ID cards.

After a long day of shopping, it’s time for some relaxation. The New York City Spa Week, from Monday, October 15thto Sunday, October 21st gives you a perfect opportunity. The week promotes discounted tickets on more than 100 venues throughout the city. Visit spaweek.com for an overview.
Don’t let the cold weather stop you from going out and experiencing New York City in autumn. For more ideas for fall activities and events in the city, visit timeout.com, or iloveny.com.