Laura Ratliff

If your dream home includes white picket fences, charming cafés and absolutely zero drama, start house-hunting in the Hudson Valley. According to a brand-new report from SafeWise, the safest towns in New York for 2025 are less Law & Order and more Gilmore Girls. Topping the list (yet again) is Bedford, Westchester’s reigning queen of quiet luxury, where the violent crime rate is so low it barely registers (0.1 per 1,000 residents, if you must know). Bonus points: The property crime rate is also basically nonexistent. Call it the Fort Knox of quaint commuter towns. Coming in at No. 2 is Carmel, where you’re likelier to trip over a chipmunk than encounter any real danger. Violent crime has dropped like a bad habit, and property crime has dropped a full notch from last year. If you need a safe spot to power-walk and gossip, Carmel's your place. At No. 3, Rye debuted with beach-town vibes and next-to-no crime. Not only is it the birthplace of Playland (the OG amusement park), but now it’s officially one of the best spots to raise kids, walk dogs or live your coastal grandmother fantasy in peace. Other Hudson Valley towns in the top 10 include Hyde Park (No. 5), East Fishkill (No. 6), Yorktown (No. 8) and Saugerties (No. 9). That’s right—seven of the top 10 safest towns in the entire state are all clustered just north of NYC. Apparently, safety loves a Metro-North line. Also on the list? Scarsdale (No. 7), which reported zero violent crimes. Not one. That’s either incredibly impre

Magnolia Bakery is giving its cult-favorite banana pudding a modern makeover with the debut of a brand-new Banana Pudding Bar, launching Thursday, June 12, at the bakery’s Upper West Side location. It’s the first and only set-up of its kind from the beloved bakery—and it’s designed for anyone who’s ever wished their pudding came with a few extra bells and whistles. Open daily from 12 pm to 8 pm at 200 Columbus Avenue, the Banana Pudding Bar lets dessert lovers choose from four made-to-order, over-the-top pudding creations. Each one is built fresh and layered with toppings, then served in a dome-lidded Magnolia-branded cup for $10.95. (Yes, the toppings are included in the price—this isn’t frozen yogurt!) The new lineup features bold spins on the original: There’s a caramel brownie version, packed with fudgy chunks and drizzled with salted caramel; a cookies-and-cream twist with crushed Oreos and mini chocolate chips; a red velvet remix that folds in cake pieces for a cocoa-rich bite; and a chocolate hazelnut combo with a swirl of Nutella and extra chips on top. (The latter contains nuts, so allergy-prone pudding fans, be warned.) Photograph: Courtesy Magnolia BakeryMagnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Bar Magnolia’s banana pudding is already legendary in its own right: creamy, nostalgic and Instagrammed into the dessert hall of fame. But this customizable bar marks a first for the brand, and it’s only available at the UWS shop, making it a true neighborhood exclusive. It also tap

Brooklyn’s iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch is back—and looking better than it has in decades. After more than two years under wraps, the 132-year-old monument has emerged from an $8.9 million restoration project that scrubbed off a century of grime, patched up structural damage and gave the Arch a new lease on its very stately life. Unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, the restoration marks the first major upgrade to the arch in nearly 50 years. Funded by mayoral allocations and led by the Prospect Park Alliance, the sweeping renovation tackled everything from replacing the crumbling roof to restoring its ornate bronze statuary and cast-iron spiral staircases. No detail was too small or too historically significant for the project. With the original blueprints lost to time, the Alliance’s in-house architects used radar and magnetic imaging to digitally map the arch’s guts before reinforcing it with steel supports and a new drainage system. Mortar samples were tested in labs to match the original 19th-century Rosendale cement, while damaged granite was replaced with stone from the same region in Maine as the original supplier. Energy-efficient lighting now spotlights the arch’s bronze masterpieces by Frederick MacMonnies and others, including the once-toppled quadriga sculpture that famously fell from the arch in 1976, a collapse that eventually sparked the founding of the Prospect Park Alliance. Photograph: Prospect Park Alliance But the glow-up didn

You don’t need a ticket to Barclays to feel the Liberty love this Pride Month. The reigning WNBA champs are taking over Brooklyn’s queerest watering holes with a series of official watch parties for their June away games—because when you’re part of the Liberty Bar Network, every game is home court. At Park Slope’s iconic Ginger’s Bar, Liberty fans will gather on Sunday, June 22, at 7 pm for the Seattle matchup, then again on June 25 (10 pm vs. Golden State), June 27 (10 pm vs. Phoenix) and June 29 (3 pm vs. Atlanta). And yes, Ginger’s still keeps it charmingly old-school: cash only, killer patio and the kind of regulars who will gladly talk playoff math with you over pool. Meanwhile, Bushwick’s delightfully chaotic The Bush will keep the energy high on Saturday, June 14, when the Liberty face Indiana at 3 pm. Known for rowdy dance nights, drag shows and a proudly unpolished vibe, The Bush is where Liberty fandom meets Bushwick queer energy in all its chaotic glory. View this post on Instagram A post shared by New York Liberty (@nyliberty) The watch parties are a natural extension of the WNBA’s longstanding ties to the LGBTQIA+ community. The Liberty’s upcoming July 25 Pride Night at Barclays is the official glitter-soaked centerpiece, but the league’s queerness isn’t confined to one game or one month. As Liberty coach Sandy Brondello told Sports Illustrated last year, “We celebrate [Pride] every single day of the week … all season long.” That ethos

Usually it’s the other way around: New York restaurants getting cloned in Las Vegas. But now, Vegas is sending one of its own to the Big Apple: Drai’s Supper Club, an offshoot of the celeb-loved brand with a three-decade legacy, is making its East Coast debut in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District on Wednesday, June 11. And if you’re thinking this is just a flashy outpost, you’ll stand corrected: It’s a full-on reinvention. Founded in L.A. in 1993 by nightlife impresario Victor Drai and frequented by everyone from Julia Roberts to The Weeknd, Drai’s built its rep as a see-and-be-seen spot for high-end dining and entertainment. Now, Victor’s 31-year-old son, Dustin Drai, president of Drai’s Management Group, is bringing the brand full circle with a glamorous New York City location that honors its glitzy West Coast roots while going all in on food, flair and jazz. “Bringing Drai’s to New York City with this supper club concept is incredibly meaningful for me,” Drai told Time Out. “It’s an homage to where our brand began, a return to the sophisticated dining experience that laid our foundation. We’re trying to get back to what we were, but with a more modern feel for today.” Photo: Joe Thomas Photograph: Joe ThomasDrai's Supper Club Set at 244 W. 14th Street, in the former home of iconic club Nell’s, the space has undergone a full gut renovation: walls have been opened, ceilings have been raised and the kitchen was rebuilt from scratch. Upstairs, guests will find an elegant din

Say goodbye to the Penn Station shuffle. For the first time ever, the national railroad has announced plans for a direct, one-seat (a.k.a. no-transfer) train route connecting Long Island to Washington, D.C., and other Northeast Corridor cities. The proposal would extend three daily Northeast Regional roundtrips east from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, with stops in Jamaica and Hicksville, creating a seamless link between the island and the mainland U.S. Translation: No more juggling the LIRR, NJ Transit and the PATH just to get to Philly. The plan, first revealed at Amtrak’s May 22 board meeting and reported by Gothamist, wouldn’t launch until at least 2030 and hinges on several factors—namely, the completion of East River Tunnel repairs and the arrival of new Airo trains, which can run on both overhead catenary and third-rail systems. Nicole Bucich, Amtrak’s vice president of network development, confirmed the demand: “We're not just competitive, we're probably faster and we're getting people to the center of the city.” She added there’s strong interest in direct service from Long Island to D.C., Philadelphia and New Jersey. The proposed service is still in early planning but would run three daily off-peak trains east from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, and three westbound trips back to D.C., totaling around five hours per ride. The federal government has listed the corridor as one of 69 priority routes for expansion, and Amtrak has applied for up to $500,000 in funding to conduct

Step aside, White Plains. Better luck next year, Hicksville. According to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, the top spot for best place to live in New York State for 2025–2026 goes to… Massapequa Park, a leafy Long Island village equal parts suburban idyll and commuter haven. Clocking in with an overall score of 6.1—and edging out bigger-name contenders like New Rochelle, Yonkers and, yes, even New York City itself in the process—Massapequa Park impressed on everything from household income and home value to education and access to green space. The village of just over 17,000 residents offers a median household income north of $167,000 and a relatively breezy 28-minute average commute (shoutout to the LIRR Babylon Branch). RECOMMENDED: These are apparently the three best NYC neighborhoods to live in, per a new study Tucked inside the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, Massapequa Park is a little slice of Americana with a twist: it’s affectionately nicknamed “Matzo-Pizza Park,” thanks to its large Jewish and Italian populations. Beyond the nicknames, it’s got actual charm—think historic Sears kit houses, family-friendly parks (like Brady and Mansfield) and a civic vibe that’s kept this incorporated village tightly run since 1931. The village itself is just 1.6 square miles, but Massapequa Park has deep roots, literally and figuratively. It was once home to the 19th-century Woodcastle Hotel resort, and its now-defunct airport, Fitzmaurice Flying Field, drew 100,00

Starting June 6, New Yorkers can officially a add “Have a berry tart with elderflower crème at the Frick” to their summer bucket lists—the iconic Upper East Side institution is opening its first new restaurant in nine decades. Named Westmoreland, this sleek new spot lives on the museum’s newly renovated second floor and is part of a broader effort to modernize the Frick experience without sacrificing an ounce of its old-world charm. Named after the Frick family’s private Pullman railcar (yes, really), Westmoreland is steeped in Gilded Age elegance. The 50-seat café offers ticket-holding museumgoers and members a refined table-service menu by Union Square Events, served in a transportive space designed by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. Think green mohair details, floral-motif paneling and dreamy murals inspired by Japanese screens and Renaissance landscapes, all with views of the Frick’s tranquil 70th Street Garden. “As we continue to celebrate the Frick’s grand reopening, we are thrilled to debut the museum’s first-ever café,” said Axel Rüger, the museum’s director. “It will provide our visitors and members with a respite to enjoy conversation about the collection over refined food and beverages.” Photograph: Courtesy of The Frick The menu, led by Executive Chef Skyllar Hughes, fuses seasonal, regional fare with nods to the Frick family’s original menus. For breakfast-y bites, there’s a caramelized onion and thyme scone or kale-ricotta quiche. For lunch, you can go high-brow (poa

New York City just added two more reasons to flex its culinary muscle: César and Le Bernardin have landed spots on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants extended list for 2025, which ranks restaurants around the world from 51 through 100. Released ahead of the main awards ceremony in Turin, Italy, on June 19 (where the top 50 dining destinations of the year will be announced), this year’s 51–100 list spans six continents and features standout kitchens from 25 territories. Of the eight North American entries, two are right here in Manhattan and both are masters of the sea. Making a splash at No. 98 is César, the elegant, seafood-focused restaurant from chef César Ramirez. Located in a century-old space at 333 Hudson Street, the sleek dining room, which has both counter and table seating, gives a front-row view of the kinetic open kitchen. Ramirez, best known for his Michelin-starred work at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, serves a 13-course tasting menu built on Japanese precision, French technique and impeccable ingredients from around the world. Highlights include Norwegian langoustine with shiso and caviar, and sawara paired with yuzu kosho. It’s made for a confident debut for a chef known for holding himself to impossibly high standards—and meeting them. Also holding steady is midtown’s beloved Le Bernardin, coming in at No. 90. A mainstay of fine dining since 1986, the Midtown temple to seafood continues to reel in global acclaim under the stewardship of Chef Eric Ripert. The m

If getting to LaGuardia Airport or Citi Field has ever left you cursing the traffic gods—or your Uber receipt—some much-needed relief might finally be sailing in. In a letter to Mayor Eric Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Mets owner and hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen pitched the idea of adding two new NYC Ferry stops: one for LaGuardia and one for the Mets' baseball stadium, Bloomberg News first reported. His argument? With congestion only getting worse in the area, ferry service is a “key part of mitigating parking and traffic issues.” RECOMMENDED: Yes, even the Rockaway Ferry is going to be more expensive this summer Cohen’s request arrives with some heavy-hitting backup: the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, LaGuardia Gateway Partners, and NYCFC, whose new stadium is set to open in 2027 in nearby Willets Point, all signed the letter. With a flood of new foot traffic heading to the neighborhood thanks to the stadium, an $800 million Arthur Ashe Stadium renovation and a proposed $8 billion casino project at Citi Field, the demand for alternative transit is clear. Though the ferry system—operated by Hornblower and overseen by the city’s Economic Development Corporation—currently connects all five boroughs, it hasn’t yet reached Flushing Bay. That could change if taxpayer-backed funding is secured. While the base fare for a ferry ride is currently $4.50, each ride is still subsidized by city dollars—to the tune of about $8.55 per passenger as

Good news for NYC public school students: Next winter’s holiday break just got a little longer, and a lot less confusing. In an update to the 2025–2026 public school calendar, the Department of Education officially gave students and staff Friday, January 2, off, extending winter recess through the entire week. The original calendar had classes resuming that Friday, making for a lone, awkward school day between New Year’s Day and the weekend. Students will return on Monday, January 5, making for a much cleaner (and cheerier) break. RECOMMENDED: The best states for education have been revealed—here's how New York ranked “We got it done! Friday, January 2, is now part of winter break,” the United Federation of Teachers texted to its members last week, according to New York Daily News, which first broke the story. A DOE spokesperson confirmed the change. It’s not the first time that city leadership has stepped in to dodge a one-day week. Last December, Mayor Eric Adams pulled a similar move, declaring Monday, December 23, 2024, a day off after a Brooklyn eighth grader’s petition went viral and racked up more than 20,000 signatures. This time, the change was made early, avoiding the last-minute scramble that puzzled many schools and families last year. The change means kids will enjoy a 12-day break in total, plenty of time for sledding in Prospect Park, checking out the holiday windows on Fifth Avenue or taking in the New York Botanical Garden’s annual train show without worrying

Summer in NYC is all about rooftop season—and this year, it’s getting a cherry on top. Literally. Dream Midtown’s PHD Terrace just unveiled its latest seasonal glow-up, and it’s a juicy one. The new Dream in Cherries installation transforms the 16th-floor rooftop into a decadent cherry-filled escape, with more than 20,000 cherries, a towering cherry tree and enough red-and-white striped umbrellas to make you feel like you're vacationing in the Amalfi Coast... if the Amalfi Coast came with a Dark Cherry Espresso Martini. RECOMMENDED: The 27 best outdoor dining spots in NYC, including blooming gardens, patios and sidewalk cafes Created by Laila Ahmed of Design House Décor in collaboration with Yvonne Najor, vice president of New York hotel marketing for TAO Group, the space combines European orchard vibes with serious New York glamour. Think: lush greenery, hanging ivy vines, and ultra-Instagrammable cocktails crafted by TAO Group’s Nikki McCutcheon. (Yes, there’s a Spicy Cherry Paloma.) “The cherry concept actually came up early on, before it really became a trend,” Najor told Time Out. “What sets this pop-up apart is the energy—it’s bold, nostalgic and full of personality. We wanted to create something that feels like pure summer fun, and I think we really captured that.” Photo: TAO Group The sweet aesthetic doesn’t stop at drinks. Chef Erin Cayaban, TAO Group’s pastry queen, is behind the rooftop’s cherry-laced desserts, like the Cherry Bomb (a hazelnut and cherry-chocolat