Weekly Highlights in NYC #15: October 28-November 3
The NYC Marathon, the art exhibits that are high on my list to see, and Ariel Okin's NYC picks...
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Happy Halloween week! There are SO many Halloween-related events this week. To name a few: Central Park’s Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla on Thursday, ABT’s Halloween Program on Friday, Halloween Celebration at the AMNH on Friday. If you’re looking for trick-or-treating street closures or want to find the city’s best Halloween decorations, here’s my comprehensive Halloween NYC guide.
The NYC Marathon is on Sunday! It’s one of my favorite days seeing all New Yorkers come together. My husband is running, so if you see runner #23882, CHEER FOR TOM!!!! The NYRR app is a great way to track all runners, if you know their bib number.
ABTKids Performance at Lincoln Center: Saturday, November 1, a 60-minute lively performance created for children ages 4–12, offering an engaging introduction to ballet through narrated highlights of ABT’s repertoire.
My kids love the performances at 92NY. “Alice in Wonderland” is running through November 9. This 45-minute musical whisks young Alice into Wonderland, where she meets talking animals, skips through mad tea parties, and faces the mischievous Queen of Hearts.
There are so many art exhibits at the top of my list to check out before they close:
“Shucks & Aww”: On view through December 20, at Salon 94 (one of my favorite galleries), this solo show by Urs Fischer turns everyday chairs, lamps and sofas into surreal, playful design-objects — the banal becomes art, and the ordinary invites a second look. My kids and I always love popping in because the space is gorgeous, and this looks like an exhibit they’d love!
“Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties”: On view through December 13 at Lévy Gorvy Dayan. This ambitious group show captures the electric 1980s NYC art scene — featuring icons like Jean‑Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and more — and explores how creativity, consumer culture and street energy collided.
At The Frick Collection, Flora Yukhnovich’s The Four Seasons reinterprets François Boucher’s Rococo series through sweeping pastel murals that blur abstraction and figuration. It’s a beautiful, color-filled installation on view through March. But my personal favorite and the one thing not to miss, is Vladimir Kanevsky: Porcelain Garden—a breathtaking display of porcelain floral sculptures throughout the museum, on view until November 17.
“Calder’s Circus”: On view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through March 2026. This 1926–31 masterpiece by Alexander Calder re-creates a full-scale, miniature circus of wire, wood and found materials. Its brilliance lies in capturing movement, balance and spectacle. I’m thinking because it involves a circus, my kids will love it as well.
Maybe there’s finally a reason to visit Times Square? “Magic Grasshopper”, a vibrant pink, 30-foot kinetic sculpture by Yvette Mayorga on view in Times Square through December 2. It combines playful fantasy to explore migration, feminized labor, and the American Dream.
I cannot say enough great things about Function. Through a simple lab draw at Quest, Function runs over 100 comprehensive tests to evaluate everything from environmental toxins and liver function to immune health, heart markers, and more. I discovered where I was deficient and what needed improvement—apparently my biological age is 13 years younger than my actual age, so I’m thrilled about that. While it’s on the pricer side, I highly, highly recommend giving it a try for a year to get a baseline on your health. Here’s my referral link.
We still have a lot of apples left over from apple picking, and I’ve been testing many apple recipes. I recently tried this one. (A similar one from Smitten Kitchen here). It looks SO impressive with not much effort and tasted like a professional French dessert. I didn’t use a mandoline as the recipe suggests and it was ok with my thin slicing. Highlyyyyy recommend if you want to serve an easy but impressive dessert!
October book reads: I loved Anna (after loving Gwyneth this summer, I had to give Amy Odell’s previous book a read/it had been on my list for a while!). Since I’m now on a big Vogue editorial kick, newly released Workhorse is up next for me (I’ve heard it’s great). A friend recommended The Correspondent, and I have to pass along the recommendation. It’s a beautiful, cozy fall read (Audible is the way to go for this one).
Ariel Okin embodies a refined yet approachable “traditional-with-a-twist” aesthetic in her gorgeous interior design work. She masterfully balances classic elegance with modern ease, creating interiors that exude both sophistication and warmth. I’ve long swooned over her gorgeous Instagram and have been loving following her thoughtful Substack. I’m especially excited for her first book, launching in February (available for pre-order now). With her impeccable taste and thoughtful eye for curation, Ariel shares her favorite New York City picks with us:
The Lowell Hotel: “Everything about The Lowell is chic–when I’m there, I always feel like I’m relaxing in the most elegant of city homes. From the wood burning fireplace in the winter to the soft jazz playing in the background and exquisite floral arrangements at every turn, The Lowell is pure hospitality magic, with the best hotel bar and lounge. I also love Majorelle’s afternoon tea (their in-house restaurant) for a special experience.”
The Frick Collection and Neue Galerie: “My two favorite museums. The Frick is now rendered even more astounding thanks to its recent renovation, the Klimt room at Neue is absolutely magical, and both have excellent cafés and restaurants. Café Sabarsky’s hot chocolate is bar none.”
Three Guys on Madison Avenue: “My favorite spot where I always run into friends. Chopped greek salad with fries for life.”
E.A.T.: “The best chicken salad sandwich and matzo ball soup on earth. And don’t sleep on the chocolate pudding!”
KRB NYC: “The talented Kate Rheinstein-Brodsky is uniquely gifted with an unparalleled eye for beauty and merchandising. Her interiors shop, KRB NYC, is our go-to trusted source for interesting, dazzling, one of a kind pieces–from hand painted side tables to lacquered trays, Christopher Spitzmiller lamps and lampshades made out of vintage saris, and a gorgeously curated selection of curios and interior design books, the list goes on. A must visit for any interior design enthusiast!”