Here's the deal. It's a weekend, and you've got the day off. Ideally, you'd frolic around Central Park, sit by the river, and spend the day outside, chasing your friends around.
The big buzz kill, though, is that it's raining.
Never fear! You do not need to spend your whole day inside your apartment, huddled under blankets and watching TV.
(Although that does sound pretty amazing, and we wouldn't really hate doing that either).
What amazing indoor activities does NYC have to offer? What can you do while still having a blast on a rainy day?
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be outside to have fun. Read on to discover 7 excellent rainy day activities in NYC. If these aren't enough, check out these indoor activities too.
1. Pete's Candy Store
mandelmarie På en minimal scen bakom baren på #petescandystore i #williamsburg spelade popbandet #katiesmoney Jättebra!
Go see an open mic night at Pete's Candy Store, will ya?
They've also got plenty of concerts. Jesse & Forever play every Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. at Pete's Candy Store with guests, and these concerts are free.
They've also got open mic nights every Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with their sign up starting at 4:30 p.m. Why not show off your talents?
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They've got Quizzo every Wednesday evenings from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. if you roll with a crew that's bursting over the top with trivia-winning knowledge. They've also got a reading series every other Thursday at 7:30 p.m. if you love literature.
They've also got a fiction open reading every third Tuesday of the month and a comedy open mic every other Monday at 6 p.m. If this all sounded confusing, you should probably just check their schedule.
2. Nitehawk Cinema (136 Metropolitan Avenue - Brooklyn)
btfields Midnight showing of "A Night to Dismember" at #NitehawkCinema in #Williamsburg. Cool venue, ridiculous movie, all around solid night! @yvetteinenglish & @ Amrita
Movies and food. What could be better than a collision of movies and food?
How about seeing eclectic, nuanced, indie films while someone brings delicious food and alcohol to you? Yeah, we thought so. Let's just say you won't get nearly this drunk at Regal Cinemas.
Here's how it works: if you show up before your movie starts, you can chill out in their bar section and down a beer while you're waiting. Then, when you get to your seat, you can order anything from ravioli to truffle butter popcorn.
They've got every type of movie from 80s obscurities to cult classics, and an insane selection of Halloween movies. They've also got delicious, often themed cocktails.
It's also a super intimate, great date spot, with only three or four rows per theater, but you totally won't feel out of place if you roll up with a pal.
3. Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen Street)
j_antonette Rockwood performance 🎤 #NYC #rockwoodmusichall #band #livemusic #bleekerstreet #songstress #singer #originalartist #rockwood #lyrist www.Jantonette.com Thanks for the pic @spanishskye713 😎
Do you love listening to amazing live music and sipping wine (or beer? or whiskey)?
Admit it. If you stayed within the confines of your comfortable apartment on this rainy day, you'd be drinking beer and listening to music anyway. So why not hear amazing music live, with your own ears, and do so in the midst of other music lovers?
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They've got free shows on their three stages most evenings, and many of these shows will require you to buy a drink to attend. You'd be a drink anyway though, right? Check out their performance schedule here.
4. The MoMa (11 West 53rd Street)
Haven't been to the MoMa yet? Great! This is the perfect opportunity for you to get your art on.
The MoMa is a super famous museum. It's been formative in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world. They've got works of architecture, design, drawing, painting, sculpture, and more.
They've also got a Picasso Sculpture exhibit on display through February, and their Walid Raad exhibition opens on October 12th. They've also got a Design Experiments for the Common Good exhibition through January.
We hope it's raining on a Friday night, because the MoMa offers free admission on Friday evenings after 4 p.m.
,5. Houston Hall (222 West Houston Street)
We can't think of a better idea for an NYC rainy day than to gather up a crew and head to Houston Hall together.
It's massive. Like, seriously it's huge. It's located in the West Village and serves and exclusive selection of craft beers and specialty cocktails. There's also an ample amount of seating. You'll never, unless you come at 11 p.m. on a Saturday, have to worry about finding a seat.
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There are also a ton of beer pong tables at the front, and this is perfect for the competitive crew that starts getting restless when they're cooped up inside for too long.
They've got some amazing bar bites too. Their meat and cheese plate will make your mouth water, and their giant warm pretzel is heavenly for pretzel lovers everywhere. Plus, their grilled cheese is great and everyone knows that you're allowed to not worry about calories on rainy days.
6. Housing Works (126 Crosby Street)
mrtnbtz Yesterday @martycanada told me to go check out the #HousingWorks #bookstore cafe, where all profits are used to fight #HIVAIDS and #homelessness in #newyork. Their staff is almost 100% volunteers :-) #housingworksbookstore #housingworksbookstorecafe #Manhattan #Nolita #nyc #曼哈顿 #纽约 #beijingbeingtrips @housingworks
Is there a better way to spend a rainy day than perusing the stacks of Housing Works?
Yeah, we didn't think so either. Whether they're having an event, reading, or just selling amazing books to benefit New Yorkers living with AIDs and HIV, Housing Works has established itself as a downtown institution.
They've also got a cafe, and everyone knows there's nothing you need more on a dreary, rainy day than a hot beverage. They're staffed almost entirely by volunteers, and all their merchandise is donated. It doesn't really get better and more altruistic than Housing Works.
Their mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDs in NYC, and they've also got the largest selection of books, movies, and music in NYC.
Check out Housing Work's events to see if an awesome one matches up with your rainy day.
7. Bantam Studios (47 Hall Street - Brooklyn)
We've talked about Bantam Studios before. However, we're still enamored with the idea.
Bantam Studios, located near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, is the home of Booze Violin and Booze Guitar. Have you ever wanted to be able to jam out in front of a crowd? To scream your lyrics out to hundreds of people, only to have them sing it back for hundreds of different reasons?
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Okay, maybe we ripped off that Dave Grohl quote, but if it's raining out, why wouldn't you take the opportunity to get a little drunk while learning beginner guitar with adults who are also getting a little drunk?
We agree. We think it sounds awesome too. Bantam Studio's got Booze Theory Workshops, guitar improvising workshops, and electric guitar workshops. Check 'em out here.

