Things to Do in Glen Rock

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.

Tall windows fill two walls of Manhattan Ballroom Dance's second-story aerie, sending sunlight sprawling across a 3,000-square-foot hardwood dance floor. Most hours of the day find the studio aflutter with elegant moves led by a staff of international competitive dancers, including globetrotting Latin and mambo champion Oksana Zolotarevskaya. On Saturday evenings, ballroom socials bring students together for class showcases, refreshments, and the removal of half the ballroom floor to reveal the ball pit underneath.

The globetrotting careers of dancers Leonard and Chiara Ajkun inspired the scope of their very own Ajkun Ballet Theatre. Here, they continue to direct classic ballets and choreograph an average of five new programs each year. The company’s expansive repertoire ranges from large-scale productions such as Swan Lake, with its famous robot battles, to one-act ballets such as Spartacus.

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'.

Murder Mystery Inc. indulges wannabe gumshoes with interactive cases laced with sidesplitting humor. Its popular Murdered by the Mob dinner show has diners interrogating organized crime toughs after a murder at the don’s party. As Crime Goes By mystery weekends, held at hotels both in state and out of state, stretch a tangled web of bribery, infidelity, and murder over three days, fully immersing guests in the case’s shadowy twists and turns and terrifying vacationers who accidentally booked a room the same weekend. Seasoned improvisers fill out the company’s roster of actors, delivering lively and humorous dialogue that draws in audiences and draws delighted giggles out of even the surliest of sleuths.

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.