Take a Break: Off-Campus Fun in November

As we look toward the holiday season (and final exams), there’s no place like New York to enjoy the fun and festivities. Need to take a break? Our New York City campus is in the middle of it all, with annual holiday events, shopping, and cultural activities blocks away, while Long Island’s cultural and commercial scenes sizzle during the holidays. Here are some highlights for November:

Things to Do Near NYIT-Long Island

Art and Culture:
Just west of campus on Northern Boulevard, Nassau County Museum of Art’s Wild Kingdom 100 Years of Animal Art opens on November 17. The museum site notes: “the roll call of major talents represented in the show whose paintings, drawings, and sculpture have immortalized the wild kingdom includes many of the top dogs in art history, including Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, John James Audubon and Jeff Koons among many others (there are over a hundred works on view).”

At the Gold Coast Arts Center in Great Neck, the Storytelling Through the Lens exhibit displays work by photojournalists around the world who use the internet, apps, and mobile devices to create images in a unique and powerful format. Running through December 15.

Thanksgiving/Seasonal Events:
If you’re looking for something more than stuffing for Thanksgiving, check out Garvies Point Museum and Preserve’s Native American Feast in Glen Cove from November 17 through 18 or participate in a local turkey trot before sitting down to dinner. These seasonal fundraisers are held in Garden City, Massapequa, Oyster Bay, Montauk, Blue Point, Huntington, and elsewhere

To catch the holiday spirit a little closer to campus, Old Westbury Gardens offers Christmas at Westbury House with decorated period rooms, Santa, cookies and cider, and a Holiday Market, with local food and artisanal boutiques.

At the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Festival of Trees in Garden City, November 23 through 25, you can also enjoy free ice skating (The museum is just down the road from Roosevelt Field mall if you need a break on Black Friday).

Shopping
Local retailers are gearing up for Black Friday and seasonal shopping specials. Check out their upcoming events:

• Wheatley Plaza news and events: https://www.wheatleyplaza.com/news-events/
• Americana Manhasset https://www.americanamanhasset.com/events/upcoming-events/
• Broadway Commons: https://atbroadwaycommons.com/events/

Things to Do Near NYIT-New York City

Art and Culture:
Head up to the American Museum of Natural History (79th and Central Park West) to see their dino-tastic decorations and explore exhibitions like Unseen Oceans and Our Senses: An Immersive Experience.

Then, walk across the street to the New-York Historical Society (77th and Central Park West) and journey into Harry Potter: A History of Magic. While you’re there, check out the famous dueling statues of (now Broadway sensations) Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr (sir).

Speaking of Broadway, performances are in full swing this season—from the high-kicking Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular to the on-point magic of the dancers in The Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet.

Check out more arts and culture around town.

Thanksgiving/Seasonal Events:
You’ve probably watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on television, but there’s nothing like experiencing it in person.

• Insiders know that the real fun begins the day before with the annual inflation of the balloons. See Charlie Brown, Olaf from Frozen, and all your favorites get blown up to the height of a three-story building on Wednesday, November 21, 1 – 8 p.m. Enter at Columbus Avenue and 75th Street.
• Then, on Thursday, November 22, 9 a.m. – noon, pick a prime location along the parade route to watch the main event. The parade heads down Central Park West, just a block from campus, before turning east on Central Park South. See the route.

Out of town for Thanksgiving? Check out Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square on Monday, November 26, 5:30 – 9 p.m., to enjoy one of New York City’s largest holiday festivals. Events—including games, live performances, food tastings, and the Upper West Side’s only tree lighting—take place on NYIT’s doorstep (1855 Broadway). You can also step in from the cold and mingle with the NYIT community at a reception hosted by Alumni Relations during the festival.

The annual Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony takes place on Wednesday, November 28, at 8:55 p.m. sharp. Head over to Rockefeller Plaza, between West 48th and 51st Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues, for music performances and the reveal of the 72-foot tall, 12-ton Norway Spruce that will light up the city streets.

Shopping
If shopping is more your thing, visit New York City’s festive holiday markets, including one at Columbus Circle, just a block from campus. Shop for unique gifts, hand-made jewelry and accessories, crafts, and souvenirs, and grab a snack at pop-up food stands.
Local retailers are gearing up for Black Friday and seasonal shopping specials. Check out shops near campus for specials, including:

• The Shops at Columbus Circle
• Century 21 at 66th and Broadway
• Best Buy and West Elm at 62nd and Broadway
• Boutiques heading north from campus along Columbus Avenue, including Warby Parker, Kate Spade, Athleta, Vince, Paper Source, Housing Works, and more.

Have a suggestion for fun off-campus activities and tips for food or fun in the month of December? Email us at box@nyit.edu.