In a summer of many pop-ups, this one—Le Taco—has our mouths watering. As WSWD’s culture editor Molly Surno writes, “A 2,000-square-foot ground-floor studio space in the heart of Soho will be turned into a chic taco pop-up.” She’s looking forward to the brisket tacos, and who can blame her?

Details:
Le Taco
168 Bowery (between Broome and Kenmare Streets), Lower East Side
Saturday, June 17
Noon–6 p.m.

You might not know it, but New York is being taken over by benevolent monsters and heartwarming beasties in celebration of Studio Ghibli Fest. For those not in-the-know, Ghibli is the Japanese animation studio founded by undisputed genius Hayao Miyazaki, the auteur behind Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Howl’s Movie Castle, and others. But for WSWD’s Raven Snook, it’s all about My Neighbor Totoro. She writes, “Skip the latest crass commercial release, and introduce your kids to one of my family’s favorite animated movies of all time, Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 fantasy My Neighbor Totoro. The anime flick tells the story of a professor and his two young sisters who befriend wood spirits in ’50s Japan. It’s stunningly beautiful, especially on the big screen, and an absolutely transportive experience.” We couldn’t agree more: Bring your favorite wood spirits!

Details:
My Neighbor Totoro
Various theaters across the city
English dubbed version on Sunday, June 25, 12:55 p.m.
Japanese with subtitles on Monday, June 26, 7 p.m.

What more can we say about this beloved musical collaboration between Where the Wild Things Are writer-illustrator Maurice Sendak and singer-songwriter Carole King than go-go-go? Our family editor Sonia Gonzalez says this: “Part of this year’s Encores! Off-Center season, New York City Center mounts the tale of an imaginative young Brooklynite and her friends whiling away a summer day by creating a quirky movie musical.” Inspired by stories from Maurice Sendak’s Nutshell Library, with music by Carole King, this production will delight literary and musical theater fans of all ages. Take the kids—even though you’re probably going for yourself.

Details:
Really Rosie
New York City Center
131 West 55th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues), Midtown
Wednesday, August 2—Saturday, August 5
7 p.m. (with 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, August 5)
Tickets start at $25

The art form that defines New York City more than any other? Graffiti. The creative medium—which first came to the city in the 1960s—has become an indelible and beloved part of the urban landscape. When Long Island City’s famed 5Pointz mural—long heralded as a mecca for aerosol artists—was torn down to make way for a residential complex in 2014, the uproar was global. So when the tourists throng the Met, MOMA, and the rest of the biggies, skip the lines and see some of our city’s finest art, all while sipping an iced coffee and working on your tan.

Check out our full guide to the city’s most phenomenal spray-painted scrawls, from a storied schoolyard showcase to a scattered display that’s (quite literally) for the birds.

Culture’s great, but summer in New York is also a season of eating! WSWD’s food editor Jess Bender, for one, is looking forward to Brisketlab, that league of extraordinary meat-smoking gentlemen and ladies bringing Texas flavor to our hungry city. Here’s what she has to say about it: “Five years ago, former barbecue novice Daniel Delaney set out on a quest to learn how to make the best Texas-style brisket in NYC. Infusing lessons he learned from various trips to Austin into his beef, he hosted more than 30 pop-up events around the city as a means to perfect his recipe. Being a sucker for good barbecue, I went to a few of those meat fests throughout the summer of 2012. Not only did I get to hoedown along to bluegrass tunes in unusual settings (seriously, when was the last time you could brag about attending a BBQ at a cemetery?), I also sank my teeth into some of the best brisket I’ve ever had in my life.” Meat lovers, you do not want to miss this.

Details:
Brisketlab
Submit your email to find out where and when the Lab will pop up this summer!

This intimate, one-woman show by Siobhan O’Loughlin will change your understanding of theater. Performed entirely from a real bathtub (by a nude O’Loughlin), Bone’s audience members (all five of you) are invited to become participants. No mere spectators allowed! As WSWD’s Alexandra DaSilva wrote, “I have been to plenty of immersive productions, where audience engagement and interaction is the name of the game, but this is the most connected I’ve ever felt to a performer.”

Details:
Broken Bone Bathtub
Secret location on the Lower East Side (whereabouts will be revealed shortly before attending)
Monday evenings at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
$35 (wine included with ticket)

June 20th is International Yoga Day, when the world stretches together for peace, harmony, and calm. Our own Laura Lipton is excited about the mass classes being held on the North Lawn of the U.N. in Turtle Bay. She writes, “I generally prefer my yoga in a quiet, climate-controlled studio. But every once in a while I like to get my asana on in an unusual venue. On International Yoga Day, June 20, it seems fitting to practice on the lawn at the United Nations. Organized by Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, a renowned Indian spiritual leader, this 90-minute celebration will include music, meditation, chanting and asana. These large-scale yoga events tend to be more ‘yoga sampler’ than thorough physical wringing-out, but I’m looking forward to doing my small part to bring about world peace.” Namaste.

Details:
Yoga Session with Yoga Masters, North Lawn, United Nations
United Nations
235 East 43rd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues), Midtown
Tuesday, June 20
All day
Free

Go behind the scenes of the Claire Tow Theater with this immersive performance about the strangeness and wonder of theater itself. The less you know about this piece the better, but expect to see a side of the proscenium you’ve never seen before.

Details:
Ghost Light
Claire Tow Theater at Lincoln Center
150 West 65th Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues), Upper West Side
Monday, June 19—Sunday, July 16
7 p.m.
$30

This unusual little museum in Brooklyn is more of a speakeasy-meets-the-lost-ark than a stuffy gallery. Dedicated to collecting artifacts that shed light on what life was like during Torah/biblical times 3,500 to 4,500 years ago, it exhibits incredible items such as a list of slaves written in cuneiform script on a clay tablet, ancient bronze swords and daggers, and clay toy chariots. Next door to it is Torah Animal World, a “spiritual taxidermy center” that displays every creature mentioned in the Torah and Talmud. Lions and tigers and bears, amen!

Details:
The Living Torah Museum
1601 41st Street, Kensington
Contact the museum directly about hours and tours