May is one of the best months to be in New York City. Mother Nature finally embraces spring, the event calendar fills up, and everyone seems to remember why they love being outside. Here are five things to do in New York City this month:
1. Celebrate Books in the Bronx
The first-ever Bronx Art and Book Festival will bring some of the borough’s best artists and authors together with ardent bibliophiles for exhibits, book signings, and workshops. Come out to support local creativity and find inspiration.
May 9, 12 – 6 p.m. | Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse | Free
2. Nosh Your Way Down Ninth Ave
The oldest and largest food festival in the city (this is its 51st year) is a chowhound’s dream—nearly a mile of the city’s best restaurant vendors, interspersed with arts and crafts and live performances. Bring your appetite!
May 16 and 17, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Ninth Avenue between 42nd and 57th streets, Manhattan | Free
3. See the Sunset as Never Before
In Manhattanhenge, a phenomenon that only happens twice a year, the setting sun aligns precisely with Manhattan’s street grid, creating a radiant glow of light across the island’s brick and steel canyons. It simultaneously illuminates both the north and south sides of every cross street of the borough’s grid. When the weather cooperates, it’s spectacular!
May 28, 8:14 p.m., and May 29, 8:13 p.m. | 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th streets in Manhattan | Free
4. Explore Fashion and the Human Form at the Met
This year, the Met Costume Institute’s spring exhibition examines the “dressed body” as a constant across more than 5,000 years of global art, pairing objects from the museum’s encyclopedic collection alongside historical and contemporary garments. (And keep an eye on Fordham’s Instagram page to help Ramses pick his Met Gala outfit!)
Through Jan. 10 | Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. | $17 to $30; pay what you wish for NY state residents and NY, NJ, and CT students
5. Dance Salsa in the Streets
In the Bronx, it’s go big or go home, and Bronx Week is no exception. The borough-wide celebration kicks off on May 1 and runs for well over a week—17 days, in fact. There are too many fun free events to list here, but one of our favorites is Salsa in the Streets. Strap on those dancing shoes, or just take in the show.
May 3, 3 – 6 p.m. | 239th Street between Broadway and Putnam avenues, the Bronx | Free
