Help us choose an NYC birthday activity!

July 30, 2009 10:24 AM

NYCFilter: Group of four 20-something friends need a birthday activity for this Sunday! Conditions: not too pricey, preferably Manhattan or Brooklyn, nothing too physically strenuous.

My friend's birthday is this Sunday, and while we have reservations for dinner, we all wanted to do something fun beforehand. We were considering mini-golf, but Chelsea Piers seemed too expensive and we're questionable on The Putting Lot.

We're all female. Common interests include food, movies, parks, dessert. [So unique!] We're not really into coffee/tea, biking, touristy things.

So, any cool festivals or activities going on this weekend? Hit me with your creative ideas!

posted by rachaelfaith to grab bag (7 comments total)

The Festival of the Americas street fair is Sunday. It's on 6th Avenue between 42nd and 56th.
posted by JaredSeth at 10:38 AM on July 30

Not sure what kind of music you're into, but there's a set of concerts in Williamsburg called The Pool Parties that would be a good time. The bands this Sunday (it's a running concert series throughout the summer) are Dan Deacon, Deerhunter and No Age.
posted by arm426 at 10:39 AM on July 30

Not sure whether you'd consider kayaking to be too strenuous -- I actually think it's pretty low-impact. And there's a great place in Red Hook where you can kayak for free -- a bunch of people haul their kayaks to a place off one of the piers, and you can show up, borrow one for free for 20 minutes and just tool around in the bay, and then bring it back in. Totally free. They're out there from 1-5 every Sunday.

And even better -- they're only a block away from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies, this little hole-in-the-wall bakery that sells something called the Swingle -- a tiny 4-inch key lime pie, deep-frozen, on a stick, and dipped in chocolate.

Hit up the kayaking in the afternoon -- they have tandem kayaks, so you can go two in one and two in another -- and spend a half hour on the water, then head over to Steve's and everyone can get a Swingle for five bucks and you can chill on the pier while you eat them. Or just take a walk around Red Hook for an hour. That stillgives you plenty of time to head back to Manhattan to change for dinner.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:45 AM on July 30

Visit Governors Island. Ferry is free. It's an interesting place to wander around.
posted by kimdog at 10:56 AM on July 30

I know it's in Queens, not Manhattan or Brooklyn, but PS 1 is having afternoon dance parties all summer long on Saturdays.
posted by jrb223 at 11:33 AM on July 30

shoot, you said Sunday, not Saturday. Apologies....
posted by jrb223 at 11:34 AM on July 30

Saturday night a bunch of friends and I are having a party here. It's a spa in Coney Island, massages, a pool and a hot tub. I've never been there, and I don't know anything more than what's on that website (which isn't much), but it's different!
posted by splatta at 1:02 PM on July 30