Central Park's best kept secret 👀

Hi,

Apologies for being a day late on this week’s newsletter! Let’s get to it. ⤵️

In 2025, NYC saw historic lows in gun violence and reductions in:

• Overall crime (down 3%)

• Robberies (down 9%)

• Traffic fatalities (down 19%)

• Subway crime (down 4%)

Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island each recorded their lowest number of shooting incidents in city history.

A gentle reminder that your news programming or the social media influencer you follow may have ulterior motives in making New York City look like a big, bad, scary, dangerous city. 😅

And now..

In this week’s newsletter:

🎫 Events We Love This Week: February 5-11 - Patterned Behavior lights up Union Square & an ice sculpture show on Governors Island

🎲 You’ll Have to Check It Out - Cozy bar near the Museum of Natural History with board games and top-notch daily specials

⛲ 3 Central Park Hidden Gems - Including the most serene slice of the park, recently renovated and ready for spring blooms (please hurry)

Put your hands up for New York. 👇

Note: As always, this email was written by an actual human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

Events We Love This Week: February 5-11, 2026

In the city this week? Here are some fun events we’re keeping an eye on.

Patterned Behavior in Union Square - Ends February 17

Union Square never has a dull moment. Between the chess players, market, and even impromptu rap cyphers from time to time, it’s always happening.

The Union Square Partnership has developed an interactive public light-and-sight artwork, Patterned Behavior.

“Public activity in the plaza ground area triggers elements of light and sound, activating the pavilion architecture and adjacent areas. In this way, the artwork explores the relationship between architecture and the public, through an imagined/realized interactive light and sound language.”

Check it out at Union Square Park Pavilion every night at dusk until 10 pm, until February 17.

5th Annual Governors Island Ice Sculpture Show - February 7 from 12-3pm

This Saturday, 10 artists will be paired with professional ice carvers to showcase a real-time creation of ice sculptures.

Governors Island’s free show will also offer ice carving workshops, a DJ set, and food trucks with winter-themed treats.

Get all the info and RSVP for free here.

You’ll Have to Check It Out - e’s Bar

Neighborhood bars need two things:

1. Good specials

2. Cozy vibes

e’s Bar on the Upper West Side has both PLUS a plethora of free-to-use board games.

And, the e’s burger is a top-notch smash burger, which you can snag for only $7.50 during their daily happy hour (until 7pm).

Be sure to check their daily specials, too!

Check out e’s Bar before or after the Museum of Natural History. Find it on 85th and Amsterdam.

3 Central Park Hidden Gems 👀

We are lucky enough to spend more time in Central Park than 99% of New Yorkers, meaning we know the ins and outs of this sprawling oasis in Manhattan.

With numerous activities, attractions, and sites in Central Park, it can be challenging to determine where to allocate your time.

Luckily, we’ve got three unique places that will make you fall in love with Central Park! We’ve seen it all, and these are three spots you can’t afford to miss. 🎉

Trust us, you’ll instantly wanna add these to your list of must-explore places in Central Park. 👇

Chat next week,

Ashley & Devin from Better Together Here