Whether you are a die-hard New Yorker or “just” a New York enthusiast, you can now get your NY-fix when you are in the United Kingdom.

Manahatta, a New York-inspired cocktail bar is opening in York on November 8.

The venue, like its namesake, will have many unique Instagrammable features, from neon signs and peacock blue booths. Stacked burgers like the ‘Godfather,’ a stack of beef, fried chicken, pancetta, pulled pork and Monterey Jack Cheese, is sure to please. The Beyond Brooklyn is a veggie option, with pulled BBQ jack fruit, vegan cheese, and spicy chipotle. Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, Bloody Marys, beer, and unique NY cocktails are all available.

An in-house DJ will fill Manhatta with NY-style music, including tunes played by various ensembles in NYC subways.

A private dining room on the top mezzanine, and other areas available for private hire, provide more intimate spaces to enjoy a taste of New York when visiting York.

For most New York City families, visiting a landfill is not on the top of the to-do list. But the Freshkills Park is a public park and wildlife habitat the whole family can enjoy.

Once the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills has been gradually transitioning from a trash-dump into a nature-gem in Staten Island.  At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park is nearly triple the size of Central Park and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It is built on what was once the largest landfill in the world (Fresh Kills Landfill ceased operations in 2001). Now the landscape is being engineered with layers of soil and infrastructure, making it a most unexpected place for wildlife, recreation, science, education, and art.

For obvious safety reasons, the landfill is covered by different layers of geomaterials to stabilize landfilled waste, separate the waste from the environment and park visitors, and prevent the release of landfill gas to the atmosphere.

As the park is being built in phases, with the entire expanse set to open to the public in a few years, free tours and events provide early access for learning and exploration of more than 700 acres and eight miles of trails. Family activities include cycling (bring your own bike or borrow one there), guided walks with groups like New York City Audubon and the Urban Park Rangers, kite flying, kayaking, wind chime design, and upcycled art. This is a great activity even if you don’t live nearby: Free shuttle buses transport visitors to and from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

For many New Yorkers, Grand Central Terminal is just a place to pass through. This terminal is where over 250,000 people commute daily via trains and busses.

Grand Central Terminal is more than just a transportation hub; it’s also a unique tourist destination. Grand Central Terminal is also a shopping, dining and cultural destination with 60 shops and 35 places to eat.

The terminal first opened in 1913 and became a historic landmark in 1978. Many tourists stop by to view the cathedral-like zodiac ceiling, or the information booth clock, valued at 20 million dollars. Tours that detail the history of Grand Central Terminal are available.

According to their site:

“Grand Central doesn’t just help you reach your destination. It is a destination. Grand Central is a unique urban space: majestic yet approachable, decorative yet functional. For a century, New Yorkers have used Grand Central as their town commons, a beloved gathering place for shared experiences, distinctive displays, and important events.”

Book lovers are in for a treat this weekend! From March 7-10, the 59^th annual Antiquarian Book Fair will take place at the Park Avenue Armory.

Over 200 American and international dealers will exhibit a vast selection of rare books, maps and illuminated manuscripts.

All the books and manuscripts have been examined for bibliographic accuracy. If you’re looking for a rare book or manuscript, this is definitely the place to visit.

The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum is an interesting, and lesser-known place to visit. Owned by the NYC Department of Park and Recreation, the museum is a member of The Historic House Trust of New York City.

Originally built in 1784 and opened as a museum in 1916, The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum is the last farmhouse in Manhattan. It includes several collections that house thousands of artifacts and written records. The landscape has also been recreated with several period pieces, including a smokehouse and a well.

The museum offers several programs including tours, art exhibits, and children’s programs.

The 10^th annual Harlem Fine Arts Show is scheduled to take place from February 14-17^th at The Historic Riverside Church in NYC.

This unique show features African American art and includes a fine arts exhibit and sale. Whether you’re new to art or are an avid art collector, this show is a recommended destination!

The Harlem Fine Arts Show began in 2009 and is the largest traveling African Diasporic art show in the US. The exhibit showcases over 100 artists and has welcomed over 80,000 visitors.

The art show will begin with an opening reception and will feature many exciting weekend events.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and his “Lord of the Rings” series will appreciate the opportunity to visit the Morgan Library’s exhibit, “Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth.”

Now on display in the museum’s third floor gallery, this exhibit features the largest collection of Tolkien’s work and life. Featuring 115 manuscripts, watercolors, handwritten notes and drawings, this enchanting display offers a rare glimpse into the author’s writings.

“Tolkien’s Middle Earth speaks to so many of us because it is a complete world. It has geography, it has history, it has language,” says curator John McQuillen. “We are not reading isolated tales but a much richer and interwoven narrative.”

The museum also offers related activities such as mapmaking for children and a watercolor landscape painting class.

The last seltzer company in New York City is offering a tour of their factory this week.

The Brooklyn Seltzer Boys, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Canarsie, Brooklyn, has been hand-filling seltzer bottles and delivering them to customers for over fifty years. Their carbonated water is reputed to be much tastier than the store-bought version.

A tour of the seltzer factory will include an overview of the seltzer industry, a closer look at the seltzer bottle refilling process and a seltzer taste test.

Afterwards, Brooklyn Seltzer Boys will make some of their award-winning egg creams, which combine milk, chocolate syrup and their famous seltzer!

If you’re not quite there yet and want to get a glimpse of how Christmas will be in Manhattan, here’s a sneak preview.

The kids are finally going back to schools now it’s time for you to celebrate.  And what better way to do it than with all the happenings in the city that never sleeps!  Let’s see what’s going on in September.

On Monday September 3, drop the kids off at school and come join the West Indian Day Parade.  Rated by Time Out as “one of the best things to do in NYC,” it is extremely popular, attracting around two million people.  If your kids are still home from school, take them and start their education a bit early by teaching them a little bit about Caribbean culture.

Kick off is 11am but pre-parade parties begin as early as 6am.