Are you sick of spending your Friday nights toiling away at New York City's overrated bars, expensive clubs, or watching reruns of the same Netflix series on your couch?
Yeah, we are too. Luckily we live in this vibrant city that has a ton going on. There are concerts, readings, and plenty of activities.
So no, you don't have to spend your weekends gagging on tequila shots at the same bars and draining your bank account.
We want you to have an awesome Friday night.
So we came up with 7 innovative, rejuvenating, and exhilarating ways for you to unwind from the week. Read on to find out what they are.
1. Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Avenue - Brooklyn)
illogicproblem No "Kiss My Head" but still epic to see the boys in the UK! @passafire @bbowllondon @willkubley #passafire #reggae #brooklynbowl #o2 #london
Where else in NYC can you enjoy a delicious meal, get completely blasted on craft beers, jam out to amazing live music, and partake in a ruthless bowling match with your friends?
Really, the answer is no where besides Brooklyn Bowl.
Their Blue Ribbon fried chicken, mac and cheese, and collard greens is a dynamite combination that, trust us, will change your life. And on top of all that, the music performed live at Brooklyn Bowl is always masterful, powerful, and energetic.
Brooklyn Bowl also offers substantial varieties of beer and hard liquor. So you can get crunk while you bowl, after, you know, you had an amazing dinner and listened to live music.
2. Movies at the MoMa (11 West 53rd Street)
Sure, going to the movies on a Friday evening is a great plan. But going to a regular Regal Cinemas is hum drum and could happen anywhere else in America.
Why not remind yourself that you live in NYC by going to a movie viewing at the MoMa, home to Van Gogh's Starry Night and almost 200,000 other works of art?
On Friday evenings at the MoMa, films are screened in the early to late evening, and the price of your film admission is included in the price of your admission to the museum. The MoMa's various exhibits are open until 8 p.m. on Fridays.
So why not get to your film screening early, or hang around afterwards depending on the time of the screening, and culture yourself by perusing the astounding artwork on display?
Check the schedule here.
3. Dollar oysters at Little Neck (various NYC locations)
Hungry? Want to unwind from the week by slurping down oysters and throwing back beers?
The truth is that there are plenty of excellent options for oysters in NYC.
But we have to tip our hats to the delectable taste and pricing of Little Neck for your Friday evening festivities.
From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Little Neck offers oysters for one single dollar each, and $5 beers. Grab your pals or a date, grab a rack of oysters, and feast to the weekend.
4. Watch slam poetry at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe (236 East 3rd Street)
conscious_vegan First time at the #Nuyoricancafe and it was amazing! Slam poetry at its finest. Such a pleasure to listen to the poets speak on their truths in such a way that has you feeling like you were in their shoes. Topics from Police Brutality to Depression to Addiction to Revolution to Females body image to homophobia, to name a few, would have one seeing the manh issues of this world and the fact that any one of us can be encountering those issues at anytime. #Begrateful
Do you love the articulation of emotion? Does it excite you to imagine someone on a stage rhythmically yelling their feelings to the sound track of snaps, yells, and hollers from the audience?
Coming to a Friday night slam at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe is a one-of-a-kind experience, after which you'll leave feeling like you're soul's been power-washed.
Here's how it works: buy your tickets online to skip the huge line that always wraps around the block on Friday nights. Get in the door before 10 p.m., snag yourself a drink at the bar, and prepare to watch the magic of slam poetry unfold.
Feeling judgmental? Volunteer to be a judge. Winners of these slams are completely audience chosen.
,5. Unwind at Yoga to the People (various locations)
wiggnat February 4, 2015 - It was time to namaste! Enjoyed hot vinyasa at @yogatothepeople in NYC! Borrowed this pic from their feed. #yogatothepeoplenyc #sweatingbuckets #detox #timetonamaste #yogaisgoodforthesoul #Repost @yogatothepeople with @repost app. ・・・ “Before you can hear, much less follow, the voice of your soul, you have to win back your body. You have to go on a pilgrimage beneath the skin. Here’s what I’ve come to tell you: Nothing good can ever be lost.” #reveal Thank you to all who pilgrimage-d with us this weekend #yttpretreats 🙏
Yoga to the People is likely the most transformative, self-reflective, healing option for your Friday night.
Because if you're like us, you've probably had a stressful effin' week. You had deadlines, you were rushing, and you probably didn't take the time to gaze inward and take time for yourself.
Yoga to the People is all about taking time for yourself. At Yoga to the People, it's not about how your positions look-- it's about how they feel. And it's not about judging the way it feels in terms of "good," and "bad," it's simply about experiencing a sensation in your body.
It's hands down the best way to experience cathartic mediation is to exercise your body at yoga, and then lie back for shavasana in which a caring Yoga to the People instructor reads a quote or poem while your soul hovers above your body (or something like that).
So sure, they make you squat in chair pose. But they do this really advanced version of the position where you can't feel it right until you turn up both corners of your mouth.
So put the stress of the week behind you and take a Friday evening yoga class. Also, Yoga to the People is pay-what-you-wish always. Check out schedules and locations here.
6. Take a ride on the New York Water Taxi
Are you looking to turn up a bit? Do you want to lose yourself in bumpin' club beats with 150 of your closest friends?
Then the New York Water Taxi is the perfect Friday night activity.
They have a cash bar with cocktails, beer, and wine. A complimentary glass of champagne is provided to all aboard. They also have dancing party people.
The best part is that you'll get to cruise the harbor, and at one point, stand mere feet from the Statue of Liberty. Also, it's impossible to really grasp the beauty of NYC's skyline unless you do it from afar. Which can be accomplished on a boat.
This one hour cruise departs on Friday evenings from Pier 16 at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets right here.
7. Visit the Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street)
junghyun_woo #whitneymuseum #whitneymuseumofamericanart #whitneymuseumofart #artcollection #manhattan #nyc great collectins & choice to make the museum tour in a rainy day
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, the Whitney Museum of American Art is pay-what-you wish. Which we're very into as a concept.
If you're rolling big, give a little more to keep this feature open to others. And if you're down and out economically, well you could drop them a dollar bill and still have a blast peering at some art.
Their current exhibitions-- America is Hard to See, Mary Heilmann: Sunset, and Micihele Abeles: Baby Carriage on Bike or Riot Shield as Carriage--are worth a gander.
Come check out this institution devoted to art of the United States, with a special focus on living artists. They're dedicated to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting American art, and you can be a part of it to start your weekend off right.
Check out 15 More Free Activities to Make Incredible Memories This Summer in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy: New York Water Taxi]