Paint Along: Broadway by 22nd Street

My Simplified "Starry Night" Painted in 3 Hours

Even if you have little to no artistic talent, you can create a painting that you can hang without shame if you attend one of the many classes at Paint Along, just a few steps from the Flat Iron Building.  In an unassuming office building on the 8th floor, they offer one-off classes in the daytime and on evenings (BYOB--they actually encourage enjoying wine during class!).  For a reasonable fee (there was a great offer on Groupon for 50% off), you can walk out with a fully completed painting. 

The classes vary from 2-3 hours, and each class focuses on a different design led by an instructor.  It's more than "paint by numbers" but it is just as straight-forward.  You learn about layering, brush strokes, different effects that can be created by different brushes, and mixing paint colors.  The design is already worked out by the instructor so you don't need to worry about the steps, but that leaves little room for really creative work (this is more like a follow along exercise).

I think this would be a great way for couples to do something different on a date or for a group of women to do a little bonding while they get their artistic juices flowing.  This is not a course for real artists--but wonderful for folks who might want to play one on TV--haha. This is just another example of how NYC offers every type of activity one can think of.