Things to Do in NYC: November 2024 Highlights
A world tour across six continents in just five boroughs
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For this month’s free highlights, I showcase ways you can engage with the entire world without leaving the Big Apple. I consider what this means in a variety of ways and include representations of art, culture, and identity. Many, but not all, of the events come from the November 2024 Blankman List.
I may often write about and praise New York City, but like just over half of this city’s residents, I was not born here.1 Rather, I grew up in the town of Columbia, Maryland, roughly between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC. At least in the 1990s, it felt most like a suburb of Baltimore.
“Town” is doing a lot of work here. For Columbia is technically not a city; it’s a census designated place. Founded by Columbia legend James Rouse2, it is among the first modern planned cities with a clearly designed double bottom line:
Two fundamental goals for Columbia were: first, to create a social and physical environment which would work for people, nourishing human growth; and second, as a venture of private capital, to make a profit in the land development and sale.
It’s an experiment that resulted in a host of features that Columbians pride themselves in, many of which I admittedly didn’t realize were unusual until well into my teens or twenties. I lived in a “village” with a shared community center. My religious services took place at an interfaith center. My K–12 classmates were genuinely diverse among racial and socioeconomic lines.3 Perhaps my favorite point of pride: Columbia’s streets are mostly looping cul-de-sacs with communal mailboxes and bizarre names like “Kind Rain” and “The Bowl,” which are all based on works of art and literature.4
Writing this Substack has caused me to reckon with place and community in a way I never had before. It has also caused me to appreciate the globalization of New York City. Columbia felt like a patchwork, with a staggering range of residents. But I still had to travel if I wanted to see the world; NYC, on the other hand, feels like the only city in the US where the world comes to me.
Disclaimer: before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, location, cost, and description using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. All views are my own.
Europe
To be clear: New York City is nothing like the entirety of Europe. Yet, there’s no denying the noticeable overlap in elements like the city’s architecture and public transportation, not to mention the millions of European tourists that come every year. The top country for international visitors is the United Kingdom—perhaps in part due to another overlap, in this case with London: West End and Broadway are the top English-language theater destinations in the world.
Thursday, November 7: Fashioning the Beatles
Talk on author Deirdre Kelly’s book on the lasting fashion style of the Beatles, followed by book signing; 5:30 pm
Free entry
Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
227 W 27th St (Chelsea, Manhattan)
Tuesday, November 12: Erik Della Penna’s Byzantine Stompers
Acoustic music compositions informed by Mediterranean antiquity and American roots music; 8 pm (7 pm doors)
$20 suggested donation
Barbès
376 9th St (Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Saturday, November 16: Cécile McLorin Salvant
Performance of original works and covers by French-American jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant; 9 pm
$85–$95
Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall
881 7th Ave (Midtown, Manhattan)
Tuesday, November 19: Flamenco Night at Marbella Restaurant
Monthly Flamenco show by Flamenco y Sol, with accompanying four-course dinner; 7 pm
$49 (includes food)
Marbella Restaurant
220-33 Northern Blvd (Bayside, Queens)
Asia
It seems almost silly to reduce Asia, the world’s largest continent, both in terms of area and population, to just four events. Between Chinatown, Japan Village, Little Pakistan, and Little Sri Lanka—to name a few—many corners of Asia are well represented across the city. Here, I settle on events that very briefly sketch the scope of what’s available in New York City.
Through Saturday, November 2: Kibong Rhee: “There Is No Place”
Solo exhibition of new works by Kibong Rhee, a Korean artist known for watery, dreamlike landscape paintings; 10 am–6 pm
Free
Tina Kim Gallery
525 W 21st St (Chelsea, Manhattan)
Thursday, November 7: Dinner Party and Book Signing with Guest Chef Sohla El-Waylly
Seven-course meal prepared by Bengali-American chef Sohla El-Waylly, with beer and wine pairing, along with cookbook signing; 6:45 pm
$150, plus optional $40 signed book
Dickson’s Farmstand Meats
75 9th Ave (Chelsea, Manhattan)
Saturday, November 9: Japan Fes - East Village
Festival of Japanese food, featuring ramen, Wagyu beef, baked goods, and more; 10 am–6 pm
Free entry
Along 4th Ave, between 9th St & 11th St
74 4th Ave (East Village, Manhattan)
Saturday, November 23: Ali Akbar Moradi & Pejman Hadadi: Sacred Music of Kurdistan
Concert of trance-inducing Kurdish music by tanbour player Ali Akbar Moradi and percussionist Pejman Hadadi; 8 pm (7 pm doors)
$40 advance / $45 at door
Roulette
509 Atlantic Ave (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn)
Africa
Africa is more than a region, it’s a diaspora, with millions of people with African ancestry in New York City alone. Not included in the list below is the Africa Center, a cultural center in East Harlem that was established in 2019 and is host to exhibitions and programs throughout the year.
Thursday, November 7: Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War)
Screening of the 2021 Amil Shivji-directed film about love and resistance set in 1950s-era Zanzibar; 5:30 pm
$8 suggested donation
The People’s Forum
320 W 37th St (Midtown West, Manhattan)
Thursday, November 14: Thandiswa Mazwai
Concert of South African jazz vocalist Thandiswa Mazwai, whose music combines traditional Xhosa music, funk, and other genres; 8 pm (7 pm doors)
$35–$45
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St (NoHo, Manhattan)
Opening Sunday, November 17: Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now
Art exhibition on how Black artists and other cultural figures have engaged with ancient Egypt; hours depend on day
Free with museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish for NYC residents and NY, NJ, CT students, otherwise $30 adults / $22 seniors / $17 students
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Avenue, Gallery 899
1000 5th Ave (Upper East Side, Manhattan)
Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays: Dept of Culture Prix Fixe Dinner
North-central Nigerian tasting menu in an intimate setting; seatings at 6 & 8:30 pm
$98
Dept of Culture
327 Nostrand Ave (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn)
South America and the Caribbean
When a South American story is told in New York, it so often seems to capture other continents and diasporas, too. One callout close to my heart is the Met Opera’s production of Ainadamar this season. Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov wrote the music and is arguably the name most closely associated with the work. He is not alone, however; key figures in crafting the work also include American librettist David Henry Hwang, who is of Chinese descent, and Spanish poet-playwright Federico García Lorca, whose sexuality, politics, and assassination are dramatized in the opera.
Through Saturday, November 9: Ainadamar
Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov’s opera about the life and work of poet-playwright Federico García Lorca; 1 pm
$33–$505
Metropolitan Opera House
30 Lincoln Center Plaza (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)
Wednesday, November 20: Dictée/Exilée by Suwon Lee
Performance art piece by Venezuelan-Korean artist Suwon Lee on the experience of being a Venezuelan woman in self-imposed exile, followed by reception; 6:15–8 pm (6 pm doors)
Free
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
680 Park Ave (Upper East Side, Manhattan)
Friday, November 22: Jenny Hill CD Release Party & Concert
Concert in celebration of Jenny Hill’s latest Brazilian-inspired jazz album; 8–9:30 pm
$20 suggested donation
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Concert Hall
58 7th Ave (Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Sunday, November 24: An Afternoon with Heather Headley
Concert of Tony and Grammy Award winner and Trinidadian-American Heather Headley singing musical theater songs; 2 pm
$55–$85
Geffen Stage at Kaufmann Concert Hall
Lexington Ave at 92nd St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)
Oceania
This was far and away the hardest one to research.5 Geographically, it’s the most remote, and in terms of population, it’s by far the lowest. The population of this entire continental region is only about twice that of the NYC metropolitan region. (Approximately 44 million and 20 million, respectively.) I did ultimately stick to calling out things to do in November, but I would be remiss in not mentioning a few events happening this October: the Pacific Island Film Festival from October 17–20 and the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s concert tour stop on October 20.
Saturday, November 2: Rugby Autumn Internationals: New Zealand, Fiji
Bar showing live rugby matches of England vs. New Zealand (10 am) and Scotland vs. Fiji (12:30 pm), part of the Autumn Internationals South vs. North matchups during Nov 2–30
Free entry; dishes on menu are approximately $10–$24
Pig n’ Whistle
202 W 36th St (Midtown, Manhattan)
Wednesday, November 20–Sunday, November 24: Australian Theatre Festival NYC
Annual celebration of Australian theater artists and stories; join mailing list to stay updated on times, performances, and locations
Tickets not yet released, but approximately $30/ticket, based on previous years
Theatre Row and The Green Room 42
42nd St between 9th Ave & 10th Ave (Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan)
Tuesday, November 26: Empire of the Sun with Neon Indian
Live concert featuring Australian alternative electronic duo Empire of the Sun; 8 pm (7 pm doors)
$193
Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Ave (Flatbush, Brooklyn)
Saturdays and Sundays: Brunch at Noreetuh
Weekly brunch at modern Hawaiian restaurant Noreetuh; 11:30 am–2:30 pm
Menu is online (dedicated brunch menu is unavailable)
Noreetuh
128 1st Ave (East Village, Manhattan)
North and Central America
In deciding what to feature, I skip straight over the Lower 48. That’s a whole ’nother post, in my opinion, as the differences between states can sometimes feel as vast as the differences between countries. The public talk on the Indigenous woolly dog is a bit of an exception, as the now-extinct dog was indigenous to both British Columbia, Canada and what is now Washington state.
Through Saturday, November 2: Día de Muertos at Rockefeller Center
Annual family-friendly event celebrating Mexico’s heritage, featuring art, music, and an ofrenda; 12–5 pm; begins Oct 27
Free
Rockefeller Center
30 Rockefeller Plaza (Midtown, Manhattan)
Wednesday, November 6: Rubén Blades Is Not My Name (Yo no me llamo Rubén Blades)
Screening of the 2018 documentary on Panamanian actor, musician, and activist Rubén Blades; 7:30 pm; part of Lincoln Center Visionary Artist series
Free
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
1887 Broadway (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)
Wednesday, November 6: SciCafe: The Reclamation of the Indigenous Woolly Dog
Discussion between biologist Audrey Lin and artist Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun on the role of American Indigenous knowledge in the genetic study of woolly dogs; 7 pm
Free
American Museum of Natural History, Cullman Hall of the Universe
54 W 81st St (Upper West Side, Manhattan)
Sunday, November 17: Bywater Call Live at Cafe Wha?
Performance by Canadian seven-piece roots rock band Bywater Call; 7 pm (6 pm doors)
$21–$32
Cafe Wha?
115 MacDougal St (Washington Square Park, Manhattan)
According to 2021 census data, 51% of residents were born in either another state or another country.
James Rouse is actor Ed Norton’s grandfather—a factoid many Columbians learn as children.
Columbia remains a “remarkably diverse and integrated community,” although not to the same degree as when I grew up there, unfortunately. It is “experiencing creeping segregation,” laments one 2023 report.
To be clear, it’s not Kind Rain Street or Kind Rain Road . . . it’s Kind Rain. That name comes from the poem “Summer Holiday” by Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962) and was where one of my lifelong best friends, B., grew up. Another close friend of mine, S., lived in The Bowl.
If you’re interested in such things, here was the list of keywords that I compiled to scour the web for Oceania-related events: australia, hawaii, new zealand, papua new guinea, guam, fiji, new caledonia, palau, micronesia, australasia, kiribati, nauru, vanuatu, tuvalu, futuna, tonga, niue, american samoa, tokelau, polynesia, pitcairn, easter island, cook islands, solomon islands, marshall islands, mariana islands
This is so cool! I love the way you organized this. And nice shout out to Columbia and mentioning The Bowl!