Nerds in New York

Central Park West at 79th St, New York, NY 10024 (map)

Space, the final frontier … for bored nerds. No, you can’t don that Captain Piccard outfit and take your Galaxy class starship to Ferenginar, but you can check out the American Museum of Natural History’s “Cosmic Collisions” narrated by Robert Redford, shown in the stunningly immersive Hayden Planetarium every half hour (Mon-Fri 10:30am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am-5pm).

91 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222 (map)

Sometimes nerds and hipsters are one and the same, identifiable by their love of socially acceptable nerd obsessions like fonts and Tumblr. During Nerd Night Trivia on Tuesdays (hosted by Timmy Williams of “The Whitest Kids You Know”), Greenpoint's coolest nerds compete for shots, bar tabs and a small, sad sliver of glory.

840 Broadway Ste 1, New York, NY 10003 (map)

Comic books are for children and also the most awesome adults ever, and any comic geek would have to have nerves of adamantium not to get excited about this huge Union Square comic book shop. Stop by often to get your fix of everything from Batman and Punisher to Japanese manga and serious graphic novels.

16 Main St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (map)

Tired of the same old NYC conversations revolving around careers and real estate? Wouldn’t you rather talk about gene therapy and worm cysts? Well, there are plenty of people out there just like you, and every month they gather at Galapagos for Nerd Night, a boozy celebration full of smart lushes and brilliant guest speakers.

709 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (map)

Remember when you were a kid and you thought excelling in English literature would make you a famous author instead of drunk in a Williamsburg bar participating in a semi-ironic spelling bee? Fear not, former teacher’s pets, your redemption is nigh when you conquer said spelling bee, which takes place every other Thursday during spring and summer.

149 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (map)

Like a modern X Club (look it up!), Brooklyn's science nerds gather once a month at the Secret Science Club (check dates at http://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com) to discuss topics ranging from astrophysics to neurobiology. But it’s not all neutrinos and superstring theory: Cocktails, DJs and live music ensure that at least a few brain cells will be sacrificed.