Flowers, DJs, Broadway, Art Galleries, Marathons and Techno: What do these things have in common? It’s March in NYC
It’s March in New York City! Some say this is the best month to visit with smaller crowds and weather still cold enough for outdoor activities like ice skating in Central Park, but warm enough to take a Circle Line Cruise, attend a parade, run ina half marathon, take in a Broadway play or attend the renowned Orchid Show in the Bronx.
Feb 15-April 19: Who Doesn’t Love a Kaleidoscope? Escape to the Bronx for some Color, Cocktails and of Course, Orchids
Bring on the color! Grab your friends and head out to the Bronx for the New York Botanical Garden’s 25th NYC Orchid Show. If you think flower shows are not in your “Top 10 Things to Do”, think again. This is spectacular and nights are filled with unexpected Orchid Dancers, craft cocktails, sunsets in the conservatory, tunnels of light, and DJs. Wander through an installation of thousands of orchids on display from February 15 through April 19, 2020, Jeff Leathem (follow him on IG and catch the live shots from the show) is the designer of this year’s show. He’s also known as the “Picasso of flower design” among his celebrity collectors. With the NYBG Orchid Show, he does not disappoint. Like New York itself, where one turn takes you into another experience, one turn in the conservatory full of orchids and artistic sculptures takes you into a new world with every turn. Walk through the gardens and experience the sculptures and suddenly, where there once was a drab gray tunnel, now there is a constantly changing walkway of rainbow lights. This is definitely an Instagrammable stage if ever there was one, and this rainbow tunnel is photographers’ top highlight of the show and just a fun space to walk through.
Saturday Nights in March and April: Light up Your Nights with Music and Orchids. One-of-a-Kind and only in NYC
At night, the Enid A. Haupt Convservatory, a New York City Landmark if ever there was one, is transformed. Orchid Nights bring craft cocktails, yummy bites from the Bronx Night Market, live DJs and freestyle dancers all among the spectacular show of lights and color in the Conservatory. There are a number of Instagrammable locations throughout the exhibit, but one of the most popular attractions is definitely the 10-foot-tall mirrored sculpture of a Vanda Orchid and in the theme of Kaleidoscope, that display of ever-changing colors, the tunnel of lights.
Orchid Evenings runs on Saturday nights: March 14, 20, 21, 27, & 28; April 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, & 18 7–10 p.m. (Entry Times at 7, 7:30, 8, & 8:30 p.m.). Get tickets here https://www.nybg.org/visit/admission/. You are definitely going to want to make this a community event. It’s an international feast of color, light, and music. The trek out to the Bronx is worth it.
March 2-31: The Royal Event on Broadway: Diana: A True Musical Story
Are you binge-watching The Crown on Netflix or as “Megxit” caught your eye in the news? Let us not forget the “People’s Princess” who rocked the monarchy and changed the world. More than 20 years after her death, much of the world is still fascinated by her — and by every move of her sons, their wives and their children. She chose to be fearless, so she is timeless. This is the best kind of theater — where tragedy and love gone awry propel the movement of the story playing all month at the Longacre Theater. In Diana: A True Musical Story, there are themes of love, rejection, adultery. The music and compositions reminiscent of A Star is Born genre, Joe DiPietro (book & lyrics) and David Bryan (keyboardist and founding member of Bon Jovi), illuminates the tunes that humanize The Royals — but not too deeply. After all, it’s a musical — an American musical — and one that’s haunted by a tragic ending everyone knows is coming. If you’re new to NYC, here to chase your dreams and follow your passion, here’s a little inspiration for you.
March 8-11: The Armory Show-The Fashion Week of the Arts World
March in New York City brings together seven different art fairs for Armory Arts Week, which is like Fashion Week for the Arts, anchored by The Armory Show. One of New York’s biggest international art fairs, over 200 galleries from 30 countries will exhibit contemporary and modern art from the 20th and 21st centuries. The 2020 Armory Show runs from March 8-11 at Piers 92 & 94, 711 Twelfth Avenue (W 55th & the West Side Highway). The Armory Show started 25 years ago and has remained true to its mission to present and promote new voices in the visual arts. You can see all the exhibitors here. Even if you’re not an art aficionado, this is worth seeing. The festivals and fairs celebrating Armory Week are all over the City. The Times has a great resource to help you decide “which show is for you”. Gather your friends from a variety of countries and share in the festivities.
March 15: Get your Fitness on and Run a Half-Marathon
SharedEasy is kicking off March with our new incentive for health and fitness. Starting March 1st, our members receive a free gym membership to some of the best work out places in all of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Get fit and run The United Airlines NYC Half. The race takes runners from around the city and the globe on a 13.1-mile tour of NYC. Led by roadsters of American and international elites, runners will stop traffic in the Big Apple this March. The journey begins on Prospect Park’s Center Drive before taking the race onto Brooklyn’s streets. For the third year in a row, the course will take runners over the Manhattan Bridge and up the FDR Drive before a crosstown dash on 42nd Street and a turn north on 7th Avenue, through Times Square, and into Central Park. Don’t feel quite up to a full run, near our Manhattan Home you can take it easier on the less hilly Central Park route that finishes just north of Tavern on the Green (another iconic NYC site) and it features a shorter post-race walk-off for runners to exit the park and start their cool down. A cocktail is a well-earned treat. If you’re not a runner, find a spot and cheer them on!
On March 17th in New York City, Everyone is Irish
On Saint Patrick’s Day, everybody in New York City “becomes” Irish. The famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the oldest parades in New York City and each year more than 700,000 people are part of the spectacle. The parade usually starts at 11 AM on 44th Street and 5th Avenue and then runs north along Central Park, turning east on 86th Street and finally ending on 3rd Ave. The parade takes over the City winding its way alongFifth Avenue and passing by venerable New York attractions, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Central Park. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate St. Patty’s Day but this one is a must. After the parade, you and your friends plan a day of “pub crawls” and immerse yourself in the real experience of St. Patrick’s Day in NYC. Hint it involves a lot of green beer.
March 28-29: Time to Party-The Biggest Party in Brooklyn
After a month of culture, art, parades, and fitness, it’s time to party. We’re super excited for the Carl Cox Brooklyn Weekend Takeover. Carl Cox returns to Avant Gardner and sets the tone for the party scene with a two-night Brooklyn takeover on March 28th and 29th! Some of the biggest names in Techno hit the stage on Saturday night and the party goes on into Sunday when Carl and Danny Tenaglia team up to bring you some of the finest house music around.
