So maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t your favorite holiday. That’s no reason to turn a frosty shoulder on Cupid. In New York City, there are plenty of entertaining options for those less than enamored of V-Day and constant couple canoodling.      (more…)

Freelance workers are increasingly using not just cafés but also bars as offices. Would this guy, who is hard at work in a Chelsea café, be smiling if he had a caipirinha or a beer instead of that iced cappuccino? MetroFocus/Laura van Straaten

A new trend has emerged in local dining establishments: the coffice. The term coffice, coined by hipster-friendly blog Brooklyn Based, refers to MacBook-filled coffee shops where freelance workers congregate for hours on end, satisfying both their need for WiFi and caffeine in one convenient location.

The Freelancers Union in New York State has 100,000 members and there are undoubtedly tens (if not hundreds) of thousands more non-union freelance workers in the city (in total, there are more than 42 million independent contractors in the U.S.), many of whom work from laptops in lieu of traditional work spaces. And of course, anyone whose employer believes in the open floor plan knows that sometimes, you have to get away to get anything done.

But WiFi is available in more places than just cafés. And some of us need something a little stronger than espresso to get it all done before the deadline. Thus, the boffice. Bar + office = boffice. (more…)

A DJ spins tunes at a recent One Step Beyond event. If you want to feel downright disobedient, head to the Museum of Natural History for a night of dancing. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Natural History.

Never underestimating the fun that can be had at museums. Yes, there are plenty of old fossils (that you can’t touch) and de Kooning exhibits (that you might not understand), but New York’s major and minor museums also boast some unexpected events  for younger museum-goers and the young-at-heart.

Here are some of the fun-filled late nights you can have at New York’s museums: (more…)

No matter how much you love it, going skiing isn’t necessarily easy. With equipment to rent, lift tickets to buy and unpredictable weather patterns, planning a getaway can turn into a chore — and then there’s the bill! But there is at least one part of your ski vacation that doesn’t have to be a hassle: how you get to the slopes. The following destinations are all reachable by bus or train from New York City.

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This winter is the time to take advantage of all the free and discounted admission at museums throughout the city. Flickr/Jesse Michael Nix

Don’t spend the winter months hibernating in your apartment — instead, get some culture on the cheap. Check out the list below to take advantage of the free or discounted admission days offered by museums throughout the city.

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UPDATE: The winners of the MTA APPQuest contest were announced on Feb. 2. The grand prize went to Embark NYC, a comprehensive tool allowing users to search subway schedules and maps and plan trips. The second prize went to Free NYC Subway Locator, which allows straphangers to locate the nearest subway station. Third prize went to Notify Me NYC, an app that alerts users if their train is experiencing service problems.

Are you one of the MTA’s 8.5 million daily riders? The Authority recently challenged software developers to come up with an app to improve New Yorkers’ transit experience and now the public has until Jan. 11 to vote on the submissions.

Below are our top picks for apps we think have the potential to make transportation easier, livelier, brainier — or just prettier. Vote for your favorite today at MTA APPQuest.

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The “city that never sleeps” does indeed have some residents that take a rest on New Year’s Day, so call ahead or check the website of any performance or establishment you’re thinking of visiting; it may be closed.

Other than the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.),  most of the museums on Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile are closed, including the Jewish Museum, the National Academy Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York, El Museo del Barrio and the Neue Galerie. (more…)

A chipper makes a Christmas tree into mulch, giving it a second life. MulchFest 2012 is Jan. 7 and 8. Flickr/Flatbush Gardener

It’s that time of year. The holidays are over and with that comes big hopes for the new year and big dreams of working off all the figgy pudding, eggnog and cookies you’ve devoured over the past month. The decorations are going back into boxes and now there’s just one more thing to deal with: the Christmas tree. (more…)

Get your party pants on for New Year's Eve celebrations around the city. But don't worry -- we don't expect you to brave Times Square. Check out our alternatives. Flickr/showbizsuperstar

Is a crowded pen of a million people in Times Square not your idea of the perfect way to ring in the new year?

In honor of 2012, MetroFocus came up with 12 alternative New Year’s Eve celebrations so you can party without the pandemonium. These eclectic events span all boroughs and all budgets, so peruse our picks below for the perfect party plan.

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