Courtesy CC/Flickr/Susan Sermoneta
Courtesy CC/Flickr/Susan Sermoneta

Are people who FaceTime while walking down the street literally insane?

This is what’s driving us bonkers in NYC right now and making us (almost) want to move

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We live in a walk-and-talk kind of town—I get it. When I’m on my morning commute or running between meetings, you can bet your ass I’m using that precious time to “catch up on calls,” which is code for “calling my mother.” However, I see more and more people roaming the streets while FaceTiming. This behavior is unacceptable.

RECOMMENDED: See more New York rants

Listen, I can understand that the occasional tourist would want to share their trip to the Best City on Earth through the lens of their iPhone for someone back home. But this is not what’s happening here. These distracted lollygaggers are always discussing some meaningless nonsense (personally, my conversations are witty, informative and brief) with some groggy pal in a disheveled bed right here in the tristate area.

While I get the allure of a face-to-face convo, these FaceTimers are pinballing into pedestrians and completely ignoring the flow of traffic. Must I get bumped around so that you can whisper sweet nothings to your boyfriend in Yonkers?

Let’s bring back the days when New Yorkers just obnoxiously shouted into their phones with a robust disregard for others. At least then they would see where they were going.

Not all of NYC is annoying!

  • Things to do
  • Events & Festivals

Party like a Swede for midsummer (a.k.a. the summer solstice) this month. A Swedish Midsummer Festival is popping up on Friday, June 20 at Rockefeller Park in Lower Manhattan with a chance to make floral wreaths, dance and enjoy Swedish delicacies. Events run from 5-9pm, so you'll get to savor the late sunset on the longest day of the year.

The event is hosted by the Battery Park City Authority with the Consulate General of Sweden, New York—the pros on all things Swedish in America. It's free and open to all.  

  • Things to do
  • Classes and workshops
  • Recommended

Times Square will be both busier than ever and calmer than ever on Friday, June 20—the summer solstice—for the annual "Solstice in Times Square: Mind over Madness Yoga" event.

Thousands of yoga practitioners will congregate from sunrise to sunset to take part in free yoga sessions throughout the day. This year, the event runs from 7:30am to 8:30pm at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 43rd and 48th Streets.

Over the past 23 years, this event has grown to welcome thousands of yogis taking multiple classes throughout the day and filling one of the busiest intersections in the world with peace and calm. Seven classes are available throughout the day; make a reservation for the in-person classes here. Free yoga mats will be provided to registered attendees while supplies last; be sure to bring your own water bottle.

If you can't make it in person, you can livestream the class at TSQ.org/Solstice, on YouTube, or on the Times Square Facebook page.

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  • Comedy

Join Brandon Collins' critically acclaimed show Drunk Black History to celebrate Juneteenth at the Bell House in Brooklyn. The booze-filled lesson kicks off on Thursday, June 19 at 7:30pm, with comedians, experts and writers—including Gary Simons, Lea'h Sampson, Tocarra Elise and other surprise guests—who are skunked out of their mind trying to recap the biography of a historical Black figure or event that hasn't gotten the mainstream love they deserved.

It will be plenty entertaining, surprisingly educational and, as always, hilariously unpredictable. Plus, there will be sponsored giveaways throughout the show for lucky audience members!

  • Music

The iconic HOT 97 Summer Jam music festival is back for 2025 with a stellar lineup of acts. It's scheduled to take over Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday, June 20.

This year's stacked lineup is led by chart-topping stars A Boogie, Gunna, GloRilla, Muni Long, Asake, Ayra Starr, and Ja Rule and Friends-A Tribute to Irv Gotti. Also see performances from Kash Doll, Bobby Konders & Jabba ft. Masicka, Jim Jones & Friends, Cash Cobain, 41 (Kyle Rich, Jenn Carter, Tata), and more.

Tickets are on sale now starting at $102. 

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  • Things to do

On June 19, Lincoln Center will present "Oh Sankofa! A Juneteenth Celebration" by Carl Hancock Rux, a free campus-wide jubilee that draws inspiration from the rich traditions of African and African-American folklore. Honoring the influence of African folklore on modern storytelling, the event will engage audiences through music, choral performances, dance, animal tales, slave narratives, and educational fables that "celebrate a rich cultural heritage and pay tribute to human endurance in the face of adversity and hardship."

 Featured artists include multidisciplinary artist Dianne Smith, actress/comedian Phyllis Stickney; multimedia artist Vinson Fraley; dancer and Urban Bush Women Co-Artistic Director Chanon Judson; blue jazz guitarist Marvin Sewell; and the Etienne Lashley choir.

  • Things to do
  • Fireworks

Don’t bother with Orlando. Coney Island is its very own magical kingdom, setting off free, sensational fireworks every Friday night all summer long. Grab a frank and get yourself a comfortable spot on the boardwalk to celebrate the end of the work-week every week.

Friday Night Fireworks run from Friday, June 20 through Labor Day. Fireworks begin at approximately 9:45pm and typically launch from the beach at West 12th Street, providing a breathtaking backdrop to the iconic boardwalk and amusement parks.

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  • Comedy

REPARATIONS!, a Juneteenth celebration of Black improv comedy, is back for its fourth edition, hosted by WildNOut castmate Sydney Duncan as she celebrates the June 19 holiday with a "Blackity-Black showcase" of some of NYC's top Black improv talents and sketch teams

Along with a special headlining stand-up set by Eagle Witt, the hilarious evening will see funny folks like The Blacksmiths, Brothered Toast, Black Coalition, PWIx2fifs, North Coast, Pencils of Color, Mommas Biscuits and Branded Silk. "All we want is 40 acres and some improv!" organizers joke.

  • Things to do

The New York Indian Film Festival, North America’s oldest and most prestigious festival that celebrates alternative, independent cinema from the global Indian community, is back for its big 25th anniversary. 

The 2025 lineup includes a dynamic slate of 22 feature-length films—18 narratives and 4 documentaries—spanning more than a dozen languages and regions. Notable titles include the East Coast premiere of Berlinale winner The Fable as well as the closing-night selection Little Thomas, a coming-of-age dramedy set in 1990s Goa, marking the directorial debut of Kaushal Oza.

Screenings will take place from June 20 to 22 at Manhattan’s Village East by AngelikaThere will also be tributes to such cinematic legends as Shyam Benegal and James Ivory

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  • Things to do

Presented in partnership with the National Juneteenth Museum, the All About Us Festival will welcome R&B superstar Mario alongside hip hop legend Jadakiss and house music icon Robin S, bringing timeless hits and undeniable energy to this fell-good celebration of Black culture, family and community.

Now in its third year, the returning fest—which will be held on Thursday, June 19 at historic Liberty State Park in Jersey City—will include additional musical acts from all genres, as well as food trucks, kid-friendly fun, art activations and curated shopping from Black-owned brands.

  • Things to do

In partnership with The DreamYard Project, a Bronx-based organization dedicated to social justice through the arts, this special Juneteenth edition of Late Shift at the Guggenheim Museum will feature vibrant poetry readings, live performances, a cash bar, and more on Thursday, June 19.

The after-hours event will spotlight DreamYard’s Rad(ical) Poetry Consortium Fellows, who will activate the museum in celebration of Juneteenth through socially engaged spoken word and live performances; participating talents include Alondra Uribe, Carlina Duan, Dena Igusti, Diego Báez, Ellen Hagan, Charlotte Abotsi, e.jin, Andy Powell and more.

It all takes place among the artwork of Rashid Johnson, titled “A Poem for Deep Thinkers.” 

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