With a constant barrage of cool and interesting things happening in and around New York City, choosing what to see and do can be like trying to figure out what to watch on Netflix. Now that winter seems to really be behind us, here are some good excuses to shed the coat and leave the house

Transitional Object: (PsychoBarn)
When the weather’s nice, it can be hard to commit to sticking yourself inside a museum. The recent installation on the Met’s Roof Garden is the perfect solution. British artist Cornelia Parker’s inspiration for her latest project came from the house in Hitchcock’s Psycho. Part barn, part movie set, the rooftop setting offers a killer view.

Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk
With their fast and furious punk songs, the Ramones didn’t just influence a movement but pop culture and art as well. For lovers of this band, the retrospective exhibit at the Queens Museum isn’t just a bittersweet walk down memory lane but a unique experience to surround yourself in everything that made you come alive when you bopped and bounced around to music from the guys from Forest Hills who became the house band at CBGB. It’s also a great way to introduce your kids to really good music!

Tulip Festival
Spring has been on the calendar for weeks and if the forecast holds out for the rest of the month we may finally be clear of winter’s long and icy fingers.   With over 13,000 tulips in bloom, alongside other flowers and blossoming trees, the Westside Community Garden is the perfect place to be in the thick of it. Located on West 89^th between Amsterdam and Columbus, visiting the garden for a horticulture tour, flower arrangement class, or just strolling the grounds offers a lovely way to celebrate the season.

Smorgasburg
For food lovers, anytime is a good time to eat and Smorgasburg makes it so damn easy. With two Brooklyn locations, one in East River State Park in Williamsburg, and one in Prospect Park, this giant food festival showcases a market of up to 100 local and regional food vendors. This gastronomic outdoor extravaganza is a great entrée into the season and yet one more reason to hang out in Brooklyn.

Tribeca Films Festival
Now in its 15^th year, the Tribeca Film Festival is a New York City experience. The project’s goal to revitalize lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11 is still going strong. This festival gives emerging directors the chance to showcase their goods alongside more established colleagues and it gives festival-goers a pick of classic films, new films, foreign films, documentaries, and more. For tourists, it’s a chance to experience the city on a local level.

So what are you waiting for–get outside!