Things to Do in Newark

As part of the Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, located at the historic Chelsea Piers, the Golf Club perches over the same port that once welcomed ships into New York City. Now, golfers tee up in the driving range's 52 heated and weather-protected stalls, which overlook the glinting waters of the Hudson River. Automatic tee-up systems position balls for launch across the 200-yard, net-enclosed fairway. A putting green allows patrons to improve their short game, and two Full Swing simulators encourage them to take hacks in virtual environs, transporting them to famous courses across the country or fifth-grade birthday parties where they missed the piñata.

Children and adults alike can enlist in Golf Club at Chelsea Piers’ classes, which stratify students by experience level. The 13-member coaching staff includes PGA and LPGA professionals, and sessions take place in a 2,000-square-foot teaching facility.

Having accrued 15 years of teaching experience, the staff members at Tennis Innovators prioritize exciting instruction and curriculums over barraging students with volley after volley. They appreciate the challenge of holding a child's interest and create fun drills for junior pupils, who can begin to learn racket-swinging techniques as early as age 3. The QuickStart and JuniorExtreme programs act as intriguing introductions to the sport for adolescents and work on improving their coordination, mobility, and athleticism, both on and off the court. In fact, they don't require a court to host their afterschool programs and will adapt lessons to fit any suitable space, such as a gymnasium or the least occupied patch of an in-use baseball diamond.

Classes aren't just for children—the staff hosts adult sessions aimed at improving overall game play and fitness in a supportive environment for fully formed humans of all skill levels. Staffers also lend their management expertise to neighborhood tennis clubs, providing guidance for hiring and training processes, court maintenance, and marketing.

Timothy Haskell is no stranger to scaring folks: The Daily Beast considers his Nightmare series "one of the most frightening haunted-house productions in New York City." But when he teamed up with haunted-house vet Steve Kopelman, Timothy didn't want to keep populating creepy corridors with imaginary ghouls. At Nightmare: Killers, the duo tap into the true terror inspired by historical and contemporary serial killers to explore the monstrosity of their actions and the celebrity and cultural obsession surrounding them. The New York Times lauds the attraction as “a taut, assured production that knows exactly what it wants to do (scare the hell out of you) and performs its task with ruthless, coldblooded precision."

In the lobby, a gallery of artwork, memorabilia, and items from or about famous serial killers primes guests on the haunted attraction's theme and provides a glimpse into the warped minds of the killers in question. At the front of the line, personnel can mark any willing visitor’s forehead with an optional scarlet X, which will grant the actors permission to interact with those victims for the next petrifying 20–25 minutes. Inside the haunt, rooms depict scenes based on Ted Bundy and the Zodiac killer, with the occasional cameo from pop culture’s most fearsome fictional figures. To heighten heart rates even more, visitors will also have to navigate twists and turns, fog, and uneven footing as they desperately try to avoid becoming each psychopath’s latest victim.

BumbleBee Tennis's wide spectrum of tennis programs for juniors and adults nurture players at every step of game development. Skilled instructors helm a variety of lessons from Beginner Group Tennis classes to private one-on-one intensives. All teachers are trained professionals and most have played competitively at the collegiate level. While helping students focus on technique and making solid contact with the ball, instructors also attempt to ensure that everyone from youngsters to veterans enjoys the game and knows how to count all the way to love. Adults interested more specifically in the cardiovascular aspect of the game can enroll in Cardio Tennis, a 60-minute class comprised of high-intensity drills and games that elevate heart rates into the aerobic zone and subsequently evaporate calories.

Intimate and minimalist in black lacquer and exposed brick, the Canal Room is as comfortable hosting '80s and '90s parties with celebrity impersonators as it is with A-list concerts starring Jay-Z, Elvis Costello, or John Legend. A VIP lounge area lined with palms and ebony booths flank a bright hardwood dance floor, where concerts and parties unfold. The calendar entices families and VIPs alike, and the facility also makes way for private events such as birthday parties and echo contests.

Aboard the motor coach, Anderson Cooper sank lower in his seat, grinning and pulling his hat over his eyes as a friendly rapper called him out by name. But this rapper wasn't on-board the coach. Instead, he was spitting his rhymes from the sidewalk outside, performing for an audience on one of The Ride's interactive New York City tours. Though unique, Mr. Cooper's experience has been shared by hundreds of other famous personalities, tourists, and locals. Floor-to-ceiling windows cover the entire right side and roof of each of The Ride's custom built-motor coaches, breaking the fourth wall as they ensure that not only can passengers view the city, but the city can look back in. Due to their popularity, The Ride's tours have been chronicled by media outlets such as New York Live, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.

As each motor coach embarks on its tour through 4.2 miles of Midtown, guides encourage group participation with song, dance, and question-and-answer sessions, much like any good meeting with a tax accountant. With the aid of 40 plasma monitors displaying images and historical information, they also divulge facts about landmarks such as Central Park, 42nd Street, and Grand Central Station. As the bus travels alongside famous buildings and city sidewalks, passengers encounter a range of characters. Some are regular New Yorkers, but others are company performers in disguise. Rappers, dancers, singers, and actors leap from the crowd to entertain their mobile audiences with impromptu live routines, and sometimes pull audience members into the show. Surround-sound stereo, wireless microphones, and external speakers allow audiences to hear the performances from their seats, unlike pedestrians outside, who have to hop on a neighbor's shoulders to get a better view.