One of our favorite summer activities in NYC are the weekly outdoor film showings that can be found everywhere from Coney Island to Bryant Park. Whether you’re looking for a quirky cult classic for date night or kid-friendly flicks for a family night out, the city has it all. Here are our five favorite venues for kicking back and enjoying a movie al fresco!
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
One of the most popular venues, it’s not unusual to see attendees camping out hours before sunset at the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. Pack a picnic or enjoy one of the many surrounding food venues like ‘wichcraft and The Southwest Porch. For the full schedule, click here.
While Rooftop Films is more of a curated series, with multiple locations, we love not just the cool underground films featured, but the interesting choice of venues as well. With screenings at places ranging from The Old American Can Factory in Gowanus, Brooklyn to Solar One in Kips Bay, expect off-beat short films and documentaries, foreign language features, and cult classics like Sixteen Candles. Find out more at rooftopfilms.com.
Wednesday nights, Hudson River’s RiverFlicks is the place to be. Featuring last year’s biggest hits, including Selma and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, the venue offers gorgeous riverside views especially during sunset. Fridays are Family Fridays with kid-friendly movies, new and classic, and free popcorn for all. Check out hudsonriverpark.org for more info.
Central Park Conservancy Film Festival
While not a summer-long venue like the others on the list, the CPCFF is unique in that, in celebration of the year it was founded, it will be playing movies solely from 1980 during the last week of August. For those looking to indulge in a little nostalgia, movies like Airplane!, The Blues Brothers, and more will be screened on the lawn between Sheep Meadow and the 72nd Street Cross Drive. For more details, visit centralparknyc.org.
Williamsburg’s McCarren Park-located film series makes our list simply because of the amazing lineup it offers this summer. Think blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Dirty Dancing, and Clueless. In addition, live music is featured before each showing starting at 6 pm and an array of food vendors are on site. Visit summerscreen.org for all the details.
For the complete list of summer screenings and many more venues, check out Thrillist’s master calendar.
Image courtesy of Timeout.com.