Things to Do in Clifton

Stray Boots Urban Games is an interactive tour that sets friends and family members loose on an exhilarating, knowledge-fueled undertaking guided by text-message clues, trivia, and riddles. They operate in cities across the country, dividing them into special game zones that contain the historical sites, local areas of interest, or eccentric child mayors unique to each city. During the explorations, clues point the way to cultural hot spots, which Stray Boots communicates to players via text message. At least one player on the team will need a U.S. cell phone to receive clues, and none of the self-guided tours require previous knowledge of the city. Adventurers play at their own pace—most zones take two to three hours to finish—which allows them to spend more time learning about the city and photographing vibrant fire hydrants for aquacentric scrapbooks.

The party planners at Barcrawls.com coordinate pub-crawls throughout the year to commemorate holidays and work-free weekends. Hosted in more than 50 cities, events entice prospective participants with drink specials at each city's best watering holes and garden hoses.

Restless fingers find a place to settle down at Annie & Company Needlepoint and Knitting's homey brownstone on the Upper East Side, where resources for making functional, soft art fill the entire 3,000-square-foot studio. Yarns harvested from soft mammals and fibrous plants spill out from baskets on the first floor, overwhelming knitting needles as large as 40 inches and colorful notions from Susan Bates and Clover. Upstairs, a sunny window illuminates a wooden table suitable for stitching or sipping tea, surrounded by hand-painted needlepoint and cross-stitch canvases hung salon style.

The staff of expert craftsmen shares knowledge with groups and individuals through project-based classes, and has invited yarn designer Debbie Bliss to contribute her elaborately spun falsehoods and professional insight to the discussion.

Shake, Rattle & Roll Dueling Pianos delights audiences with an evening of music requests, onstage games, and raucous sing-alongs. Two bantering pianists man the stage with percussive backing from a drummer, drawing on a sprawling mental catalog of classic and contemporary rock standards. The trio's extensive musical knowledge allows them to play any song that pops into guests' heads or is brought forth during deep hypnosis. The performers also call guests onstage for games consisting of solo dances and dares. The venue's full bar includes liquor, wine, beer, and soda, and shot giveaways keep mouths from drying out during lengthy discourses on why one should never stop believin'.

As they lead groups through the heart of Times Square, Manhattan Walking Tours' licensed guides tailor their narration to the interests of each of their up to eight participants. They follow an organic, ever-changing tour route as they answer questions one-on-one and strike up conversation with each urban adventurer, eschewing common tour-guide tactics such as screaming the names of U.S. presidents. As they navigate city history from 42nd Street to 47th Street, the guides use their experience as actors and city museum historians to entertain and educate their small groups. They're also undeterred by parades and seasonal events, taking alternate routes when necessary to cast a light on the history of often-unseen landmarks. At times, they venture right into the special-event happenings to grant visitors a glimpse into city culture.

Over the course of each tour, guides expound on some of the city's oldest architecture, pointing out buildings in the Paramount and Beaux-Arts styles among other stone and glass structures dating back to the late 1800s. Underneath vibrant billboards and twinkling theater marquees, they reveal secrets of the famed theater industry, such as why Sardi's Restaurant became the place for theater artists to wait for their reviews. They also let guests in on ancient questions such as why the city decided to drop a ball on New Year's Eve, how Times Square got its name, and which pizza chef the Tony Awards were named after.

The Skate Truck NYC's mobile rental unit sets up shop at various locations—from the sprawling reaches of Central Park to the picturesque paths of Prospect Park in Brooklyn—and outfits pedestrians with both roller and inline skates. Tourists and locals alike can track down the rental unit for a day of adventure, equipping themselves with necessary helmets, kneepads, elbow pads, and wrist guards. The Skate Truck NYC even throws in park maps that highlight viable routes and areas where skaters are least likely to encounter two men carrying a massive pane of glass across a busy street. And for special occasions, the company also assists with parties, field trips, and team-building activities.

The location of Skate Truck NYC's rental truck changes throughout the week. To view the truck's current and future locations, check out the Where Are We page on the company's website.