5 good things to do in (or near) the neighborhood

By Tracy Zwick

Welcome to UWS Weekend, your curated list of five neighborhood activities to do over the weekend. You know me now, and if you don't, click here.

Let's spend the weekend!

June 14 – 16, 2024

Theater: “” by ShakespeareThe comedy of errors» ; free on Sundays at the Saint-Jean-le-Divin cathedral

As Central Park's Delacorte Theater undergoes renovation, the public theater is taking its bilingual musical version of “The Comedy of Errors” on the road to the five boroughs. The first of two performances at St. John the Divine will take place this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. (The second will take place at the same time on June 30.) It's free, general admission and no ticket required. First come, first served; so arrive early, about an hour before show time, for the best chance of getting a seat. Ninety minutes, no intermission.

Play: Hex & Cie., 2911 Broadway (at 113th Street)

If you have kids, like me, you probably already know about Hex & Co., the board game haven on Broadway and West 113th Street. With just about every board and card game imaginable, as well as opportunities for fans of RPGs (role-playing games) like Dungeons & Dragons, you can head to Hex's 4,000 square foot flagship space, grab a table and pay. $10 per player for up to 3 hours of gameplay over the weekend. (There is no time limit on weekdays). My daughter loves Rail Adventures and I prefer Scrabble, but we also discovered some new games to love at Hex, and since it's a retail store, we bought them to add to our home collection. Hex has a counter with snacks, pub food and beer for purchase, but I recommend eating at Community Food & Juice half a block away first if you're hungry. The huevos rancheros and the vegetarian sandwich stand out on a completely reliable menu.

Chocolates for dads and graduates: Mondel Chocolates, 2913 Broadway (between 113th and 114th)

On the same block as Hex & Co. is one of Manhattan's oldest, quaint, and lovingly operated chocolate shops. Mondel opened in 1943 and was purchased by current owners Jack and Paula, who personally man the counter, around 1990. Inside the slender storefront, you'll find a handful of display cases housing a myriad of truffles, turtles, jellies and chocolate-covered marshmallows. and two of Mondel's best-sellers: almond bark and sea salt caramels. Tags and prices are carefully handwritten on charming, age-marked white cards. Choose from traditional pre-made gift boxes or have Jack or Paula create a special box or box with just your dad or graduate's favorites. And if Mondel chocolates were good enough for Katharine Hepburn, whose yellowing thank you note is displayed near the checkout, why not treat yourself to a little brown paper bag full of goodies while you're at it? Bargain seekers should ask about the often discounted broken pretzels behind the counter! Hours: Tue-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday

Art: The Hispanic Society Museum and Library; Broadway between 155th and 156th; free entry, open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with a free ride Saturday at 2 p.m.

Head north on Broadway to 155th Street where, on your right, you'll see a cloister of Beaux-Arts buildings including a cultural campus with the Hispanic Society Museum as its centerpiece. A free museum dedicated to Hispanic heritage, this often invisible jewel in New York's cultural crown partially reopened last year after six years of renovation. There is a free tour every Saturday at 2 p.m. that will include highlights of the current Diego Velázquez/Enrique Martínez Celaya exhibition and the museum's piece de resistance, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida's monumental series of 14 paintings known as name “Vision of Spain”, which alone is worth the detour. While you're there, don't miss Goya's stunning portrait of “The Duchess of Alba” (1797). The inscription at his feet means “Only Goya” and, honestly, who could disagree? If you have trouble finding the museum's main entrance once you enter the Audubon Terrace courtyard, look for Jesús Rafael Soto's 20-foot-tall kinetic sculpture “Penetrable” (1990), a floating forest of strands of lemon-colored plastic that is on long-term loan to the Hispanic Society. The door is just beyond, to the left. Early registration for the visit is obligatory.

Listen: Karina Rykman's first album, Walk in joy

Born and raised at UWS, Karina is a regular in the 8G Band, the house band on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” while also writing, recording and performing her own music. She acquired her first guitar while in 8th grade at Calhoun School at UWS and continues to make music with friends at UWS, including Trey Anastasio of Phish and Gabe Monro, songwriter and co-producer of “Joyride”. She's been playing bass, singing and jumping extensively in venues around the world for the better part of the last decade. Karina’s exuberance and, yes, joy shines through in “Joyride,” her debut album, released last August.

Check out WSR for a weekend Q&A with Karina in which she reveals some of her favorite UWS spots, the one album she could listen to forever, and the coolest things that happened to her on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Please send your ideas for future WSR Weekend columns to [email protected]

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