By Live & Learn

INSTITUTES

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway, B’klyn

718-638-5000

Brooklynmuseum.org/education.

A year-round schedule of programs including tours, gallery talks and art classes. Ever wonder what you were looking at, hanging on the wall? The “Looking at Art” course is a must. 

Cooper Union

Continuing Education

Cooper Square

212-353-4195

cooper.edu/ce

Not only do they have professional courses in everything from Architecture to Automation; there’s the oh-so-sexy botanical art & illustration and finance classes dealing with ebay. If you’re feeling the pinch, there’s also a series of free lectures and book signings to try on for size.

International Center of Photography

1114 6th Ave. (at 43rd St.)

212-857-0001

Get yourself to the darkroom and maybe you’ll make some pretty calendars.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 5th Ave. (at 82nd St.)

212-535-7710

The newest thing around these parts is the “The Art of Learning: Classes for Adults.” Gallery-based, small classes for adults are taught by master instructors will make you see the Met in a whole new way. Also check out the drawing classes and gallery seminars.

Municipal Art Society

457 Madison Ave. (at 51st St.)

212-935-3960

Created in 1893 to “make our city lovely,” the MAS still plugs away after all these years. The walks and talks schedule includes “Geography of New York City,” in which four illustrated lectures and two walking tours provide an understanding of how different aspects of geography impact urban development. 

Museum of the City of New York

1220 5th Ave. (103rd St.)

212-534-1672

A variety of lectures, walking tours and symposiums discussing and showcasing the past, present and future of the city. 

New School

66 W. 12th St.

212-229-5630

Generalstudies.newschool.edu.

You want to learn? No, I mean it—you want to learn? New School has been doing this for nearly a hundred years, they know where it’s at: classes in media studies, film, foreign language, writing, visual and performing arts (both for credit and non-credit courses). 

Parsons School of Design

65 5th Ave. (at 13th St.)

212-229-8910

Degree programs, certificate courses and non-credit classes in digital design, fashion studies, fine arts as well as graphic, interior and architectural design.

Whitney Museum of American Art

945 Madison Ave. (at 75th St.)

1-800-WHITNEY

Ongoing workshops and lectures, including the Conversations on Art series and various seminars with exhibiting artists. Various film and music programs as well. Call for specific details.

WRITING

Gotham Writers’ Workshop

1841 Broadway #809

212-974-8377

writingclasses.com

Don’t tell us you’ve missed the yellow boxes and ads everywhere. But guess what? People actually DO become writers. Go figure. The leading creative writing school in NYC and online offers 150+ classes; 10-week workshops begin just about every week. 

Mediabistro

494 Broadway (betw. Spring & Broome Sts.)

212-929-2588

mediabistro.com/courses

They don’t just have job postings; they offer professional development classes for media professionals, from journalists to web designers, filmmakers to novelists. And stick around for their mixers, it’s great to get a bit confessional with other wannabe writers. 

CAREER

Katharine Gibbs School

50 West 40th St.

800-935-4802

Classes on digital filmmaking and media administration to business and fashion, the degree programs are designed to provide skills to use now. At least all those multi-culti people in the ads look happy.

COOKING

De Gustibus Cooking School

Macy’s Herald Square, 8th fl.

151 W. 34th St.

212-439-1714

Some of the city’s celebrity chefs supervise as you figure out how to butcher that whole chicken into shreds. Just don’t leave your good knives at home.

The Institute of Culinary Education

50 W. 23rd  St.

212-847-0700

One of the oldest culinary schools and a NY Institution: Dedicated to providing inspiration and innovation in culinary education.

MUSIC/THEATER

American Musical & Dramatic Academy

2109 B’way (at W. 73rd St.)

212-787-5300

Train your voice or learn to kick ass the theatrical way (with swords!). And then do it all in a musical. 

DANCE

Arthur Murray Dance Studio

16 W. 57th St., 5th fl.

212-593-1633

Your last chance to learn ballroom dancing before everybody gets sick of it.

Salsa International

339 W. 47th St., 3rd fl. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.)

212-229-8348

www.worldsalsa.net

Salsa International offers basic to advanced salsa lessons for everyone.

Sandra Cameron Dance Center

199 Lafayette Street

212-431-1825

Sandra Cameron Dance Center teaches all styles of partner dancing. Visit Sandracomeron.com for more information.

ART

The Art Students League of New York 

215 W. 57th St.

(betw. B’way & 7th Ave.)

212-247-4510

With a rabidly loyal following since 1875, it’s the place to feel like you too can be one of those Hudson River School guys. 

National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts

1083 5th Ave. (betw. 88th & 90th Sts.)

212-369-4880

Offering classes in fine arts beginning every eight weeks for students of all ages and skill levels. Scholarships available.

Pratt Institute - Center for Continuing and Professional Studies

144  W. 14th St, Rm 209

212-647-7199

A whole hellavua lot of courses, so you can be creatively making some money.

New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture

8 W. 8th St.

212-673-6466

www.nyss.org

Time to enroll in some drawing marathons and summer programs.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Om Yoga

826 Broadway, 6th fl.

212-254-YOGA

The yoga fad will never die because everyone feels like they’ve accomplished something when they carry a mat around. Or are all those people praying?

Church Street Boxing Gym

25 Park Pl. (betw. Church St. & B’Way)

212-571-1333

Think about the number of times you’ve wanted to punch someone in the face on the subway. Now picture yourself taking it out on some other guy who’s just as angry as you. 

Krav Maga Inc.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

899 Tenth Ave. (58th St.)

Combatives Rm. 300

Passover leave you with a hankering for more Jewish culture? Let former Israeli paratrooper Rhon Mizrachi teach you how to hurt people the Hebrew way.

FILM & VIDEO

New York Film Academy

100 E. 17th St. 

212-674-4300 

With filmmaking, acting and screenwriting courses, they got it all. Expect to see lots of other fresh young faces at the three locations (Union Square, SoHo, Times Square), all eager to get their start. Don’t get discouraged, they can’t all make it, and none of them is as smart and talented as you.

Manhattan Edit Workshop

80 5th Ave., Ste. 908

212-414-9570

Manhattan Edit Workshop gives students the technical and artistic knowledge to become professional video editors.

The School for Film and Television

39 W. 19th St, 12th fl.

212-645-0030

An accredited film acting school with a primary focus on film and television performance. A full-time, two-year professional training program for film and television performance, plus a highly popular summer program.

LANGUAGE

French Institute Alliance Francaise

22 E. 60th St.

212-355-6100

Working every day to further divorce NYC from the rest of the country. 

Queen Sofia Spanish Institute

684 Park Ave.

212-628-0420

As pretentious as the French Institute, but far more practical.