Spring is finally here! After a long winter, (or not so winter,) spring has arrived, bringing with it warm weather, shorts, flip flops and budding tans. With temperatures in the 70’s the past couple of weeks, spring seems to be beckoning us out of our dorm rooms, telling us to go out and live our lives. YOLO anyone? But what is there to do on a beautiful spring day besides chill on the hill you may ask? Well, the answer is simple. Embrace the art and entertainment that awaits in Iona’s greatest resource: New York City.

The city is only a short train ride away, and as the news and entertainment capital of the world, it is never short on plays, museums, exhibits, concerts, etc. The upcoming spring months bring new entertainment to NYC, providing the perfect opportunity for college students. Here’s what to look for:

First of all, FREE: A college student’s favorite word. The city always has things to do and see for free. One upcoming event allows participants to truly be kids again. On Apr. 7, Union Square will hold the seventh annual International Pillow Fight Day! Anyone can bring a pillow to the square and partake in the fight; it’s the one time a year when it’s okay to hit a stranger over the head. This year, the event will take place the day before Easter and participants are encouraged to embrace a Bunny theme and wear their PJ’s of course.

If pillow fights aren’t your style, there is always an NYC classic, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Technically, the museum recommends that students pay a certain price, however, you can donate whatever amount you’d like. Scrounge up some money you have lying around, and a trip to the Met is basically free. The Met has enough art for a lifetime, but through Jun. 17 they have an exhibit that would intrigue any sports fan.

The exhibit: Breaking the Color Barrier in Major League Baseball, features a selection of baseball cards of the earliest baseball players who transitioned from the Negro Leagues to the Majors. The cards were taken from the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, the most comprehensive collection outside of the Baseball Hall of Fame, including more than 30,000 cards.

Certainly, the Met has something for everyone, not to mention it is a place that everyone should visit at least once in his or her life. Plus, it could provide you with some fun facts or info for any class: history, art, humanities, philosophy, you name it. Impress your professors with your Met knowledge!

There are plenty of free things to see and do in the city, if only you look hard enough. However, there is other entertainment that does cost money, but is definitely worth your buck. Another thing one must do at least once: see a Broadway play. Broadway tickets can be expensive, but not if you wait in the ticket line. The ticket line in Times Square offers discount tickets to the shows, but you must get there early. Otherwise, you might be waiting in line all day.

Broadway is currently filled with brilliant musicals, comedies, dramas and the like. “The Lion King” and “Mary Poppins” are playing, the classic, “Wicked,” is still there, and award winning “Book of Mormon” and “Memphis” are said to be spectacular. No matter what show you choose, you can’t go wrong. That’s part of the brilliance of New York City, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, there is something for everyone.

Particularly, for any Arthur Miller fans, Death of a Salesman recently opened. This show takes Arthur Miller’ classic and mixes it with today’s award winning talent. Andrew Garfield of “The Social Network” stars as Biff Loman and Philip Seymour Hoffman co-stars as Willy Loman.

Also brand-new to Broadway is “Ghost.” Based on the movie with the same title, “Ghost” has been transformed into a musical. Previews for the show started Mar. 15, but the show officially opens Apr. 23.

If Broadway isn’t your type of music, there are always concerts in NYC. Whether you’re looking for underground bands playing in restaurants or mainstream artists in Madison Square Garden, the city has it all. In the next month alone, the Garden is hosting popular performers Pit Bull, The Fray and Nickelback. Tickets are available online. Or instead, you could hit up the Garden for a game of basketball. The New York Knicks will be playing the Wizards, Heat and Celtics throughout the month of April.

So far, it seems the city is providing us with pillow fights, museums, plays, music and sports. But what about movies? Many film festivals are held in the springtime in the city. Some less known festivals are free and anyone can attend. The renowned Tribeca Film Festival also takes place in NYC. This is the tenth year the festival will be held in downtown Manhattan and it will last from Apr.18 to Apr. 29.

The festival not only features film screenings but also panels, talks and other events. Tickets are available on the film’s website, where you can also take a look at this year’s lineup. The interests that are fulfilled at the Tribeca are vast as it features documentaries, short films, foreign films and more.

New York City offers more than just movies and music. There are other exhibits similar to those at the Met throughout the city. In particular, the Discovery Center in Times Square always features exciting and big name exhibits. Although it does cost money to attend these, the cost is not unreasonable, usually no more than $30.00.

Right now, the Discovery Center is featuring two exhibits. The first, “Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times” is the largest-ever exhibition of artifacts from ancient Israel. It includes mosaics, weapons, textiles and an actual three-ton stone from Jerusalem’s Western Wall. This exhibit lasts until April 15 and would certainly interest any history or religion majors.

The second exhibit is CSI: the experience, which was supposed to have left Times Square, but due to popular demand has extended its stay until April 1. This interactive exhibit allows attendees to play CSI and actually solve one of three cases.

It seems that most of the art and entertainment in New York City involves being indoors, away from the beauty of spring. The last notable sight, however, perfectly embraces the idea of spring. “The Butterfly Conservatory” at the American Museum of Natural History, although indoor, allows participants to get up close and personal with one of spring’s favorite creatures. The conservatory features information about butterflies as well as a re-created tropical forest environment filled with over 500 live butterflies. If that doesn’t say spring, then what does?

So you lazy college kids, get up, get out and see the wonders that New York City has to offer. No matter your interests, the city has something for everyone. Plays, music, sports, movies, museums, exhibits, you name it, there is something to enjoy in NYC this spring. Go find it.