The Current Ground Guide to Labor Day in the City
Shockingly, Labor Day weekend is already upon us. The end of summer is nigh – and Current Ground is here to guide you towards the best ways to celebrate (and/or mourn) that fact this holiday weekend if you’re sticking around New York City.
If you’re in the mood to get a little aggressive, dance your little tushy off and maybe rub up on some strangers, venture out to Randall’s Island Park (a small island in the East River) for Electric Zoo 2011. This electronic music festival lasts three days, but a one-day pass plus bus ticket (unfortunately, the ferry’s already sold out) only costs $129. Going for one day, instead of all three, has non-financial benefits – namely, there’s a much slimmer chance you’ll suffer severe exhaustion and a much greater chance you’ll make it to work on Tuesday. If you opt for a one-day pass, go Sunday. You’ll get a chance to see Calvin Harris, Chromeo, Afrojack, Diplo, Boys Noize, Armin Van Buren and the one and only Snoop himself, performing as DJ Snoopadelic. These beats will have you dancing so much you won’t need to hit the gym for a week.
If, on the other hand, you’d rather observe some intense physical activity rather than participate, pop on a pastel polo and check out the U.S. Open, which runs until Monday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, Queens. Transportation is easy (surprising for those of us who still don’t understand the geography of any borough other than Manhattan): simply hop on the 7 train at Grand Central and take it to Mets-Willets Point Station. Sample the many kinds of food offered in the stadium – from standard ballpark fare to quesadillas and veggie wraps – and don’t pass up a US Open specialty cocktail. At $13 apiece, these little buggers can make quite the dent in your wallet by the end of the day – but they taste delicious, pack a punch and come in a fun commemorative cup.
Beyond these events, Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to step back and enjoy the city. Pack fruit and cheese in a picnic blanket and tan on the Great Lawn in Central Park. Enjoy some beers and lovely views of the Hudson at the Frying Pan. Soak up a little culture by checking out the Cy Twombly sculpture exhibit, currently on at MoMA, or the “Breaking Ground” exhibit at the Whitney, which features 1,000 objects from the museum’s founding collection and closes September 18. And don’t forget to give your white jeans one last hurrah before they go back in the closet for nine months (I hereby declare Current Ground to be officially anti-white after Labor Day).