If cabin fever is setting in, this week brings a few perfect antidotes to the Arctic chill. The Orchard show is now open and guaranteed to lift your spirits, and you can even warm up inside a pink igloo on the East River. Two standout exhibitions await at the Museum of the City of New York and the New‑York Historical Society. Our Long Island reporter shares creative ways to celebrate friendship this Valentine’s Day, and our roving photographer captures the beauty of the snow before it became a slog. And looking ahead, spring brings the Renewal Summit.

A Milestone Gathering

The 10th Annual Renewal Summit returns with a full day designed to energize, inspire, and reconnect women. This milestone year celebrates Resilience & Longevity with dynamic speakers, meaningful conversations, and practical tools for living well. Expect uplifting moments, fresh perspectives, and the unmistakable magic that happens when 125 extraordinary NYC women gather to learn, laugh, and grow together. From the first coffee to the closing reception, it’s a celebration of strength, vitality, and community. GET THE DETAILS.

 Now to April 26. Orchid Show

The New York Botanical Garden’s 2026 Orchid Show bursts into bloom with Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, a spectacular reimagining of New York City where thousands of orchids transform stoops, slice shops, subway stations, and iconic streetscapes into a lush floral dreamscape. Set inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory from February 7 to April 26, the exhibition blends urban grit with botanical wonder, showcasing the bold, sculptural artistry of the Queens‑born floral visionary. It’s an immersive, joy‑filled celebration of the beauty that can flourish in unexpected places.

Thanks to Ellen Easton for these beautiful photos of the show.

Mr. Flower Fantastic is a New York–born floral artist known for transforming everyday urban symbols into bold, sculptural works that celebrate beauty, resilience, and cultural identity. Working at the intersection of street art and botanical design, he reimagines sneakers, subway tokens, basketballs, and city landmarks in lush, unexpected orchid‑covered forms. His work carries the pulse of the city—playful, gritty, and deeply rooted in community—while elevating flowers as a medium of storytelling and joy.

Think Pink

If you’re ready for something different, head to Pier 15 and Think Pink at Watermark . The restaurant’s classic American comfort food meets a playful, rose‑washed aesthetic, with pink‑forward cocktails, vibrant plates, and waterfront views that make everything feel a little more cinematic. The East River breeze, the skyline stretching around you, and the cheerful, color‑drenched atmosphere create an experience that’s equal parts festive and laid‑back. It’s the kind of spot where brunch lingers into afternoon, golden hour feels like its own event, and every visit carries that unmistakable sense of New York fun. You can reserve

• Semi-Private Glasshouse Tables — cozy, chic, and made for golden-hour views.
• Pink Cocktail Chalet — sip something dreamy in a pink-perfect hideaway.
• Private Glasshouse Tables — your own glasshouse moment for celebrations.

Get the details.

A Must See at the Museum of the City of New York

He Built This City at the Museum of the City of New York is a love letter to New York crafted in miniature. The exhibition centers on Joe Macken’s astonishing, hand‑built scale model of the entire city—a project he began in 2004 and continued for 21 years, shaping nearly every building across all five boroughs from balsa wood, cardboard, Styrofoam, and glue. The result is a sweeping 50‑by‑27‑foot architectural portrait that captures New York’s skyline, neighborhoods, and landmarks with both precision and personal imagination.

The model’s debut on February 12, 2026 marks the first time Macken’s work is shown publicly in the city that inspired it. What began as a basement hobby went viral on TikTok, drawing millions of viewers and prompting calls for a museum to showcase the piece. MCNY’s curators describe it as a celebration of the city’s spirit and of the kind of artistic vision that often goes unrecognized—one person’s deeply personal New York rendered at monumental scale.

Installed in the Dinan Miller Gallery, the model sits in conversation with the museum’s permanent exhibitions New York at Its Core and Timescapes, offering a tactile, immersive complement to the city’s historical and cultural narrative. It’s both a feat of craftsmanship and an emotional tribute—an intimate, handmade metropolis that invites visitors to see New York through the eyes of someone who spent two decades building the city he loves. mcny.org

The Year of Flaco

This unique exhibition is a memorial, a love story, and a citywide reckoning told through the life of one owl who briefly became a New York legend. The New‑York Historical Society’s exhibition traces Flaco’s astonishing year of freedom after he escaped the Central Park Zoo, a period when he learned to hunt, soared over Manhattan’s avenues, and peered into apartment windows—captivating millions who followed his nightly flights.

The exhibition gathers photographs, videos, letters, drawings, and the objects mourners left beneath his favorite oak tree in Central Park. Together, they form a portrait of a creature many saw as a symbol of resilience and urban grit—an outsider who adapted, survived, and became part of the city’s emotional landscape. Alongside the tributes, the show confronts the realities Flaco’s story illuminated: the dangers birds face in dense cities, the building collision that ended his life, and the legislation his death helped inspire. It’s both a celebration and a call to action, inviting New Yorkers to consider how to coexist more responsibly with the wildlife that shares their streets and skies. nyhistory.org

Galentine’s Fun on Long Island

Valentine’s Day shines brightest when it’s shared with the women who lift us, laugh with us, and love us through every season. In this week’s Spotlight on Long Island, Andrea Peponakis suggests celebrating the friendships that feel like family — the ones built over wine chats, shared desserts, spontaneous adventures, and the kind of memories that stay warm long after winter fades. Read more.

Snow Days

Nicole Freezer Rubens writes: 

Let it snow is getting old. New York City has been absorbing the latest large snowfall for almost 2 weeks, with no hope of seeing its melting pot traits any time soon, due to the longest cold spell I can remember.

So if you can’t beat the slush, or climb over the mounds of filthy snow outlining the streets, stay home a little bit longer than usual and get cozy. Look back at the snowfall fondly, like looking through your baby albums. Use the memories of the beautiful imagery to get through this challenging arctic blast. Remember the initial days when a rainbow of sleds and snow boots trekked to the parks and enjoyed the fantastic winter wonderland movie set that was our city. Think back to that split second when the hot chocolate burned the roof of your mouth and you ate some fresh fallen snow to soothe your pain.

Spring is 41 days away! Soon the dangling icicles will be replaced by blooming cherry blossoms. That burn will be long forgotten, but the memories of one of the coldest winters on record will become part of New Yorkers’ shared history. We will all earn the badge for surviving another scint