44 Best Things to Do in New York City, According to Our Local Editors
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Many editors and contributors have touched this list of the best things to do in New York City over the years. It's a labor of love on which some entries have lasted multiple rounds of culling and reassessment, and for obvious reasons: both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center last, for example, as do visits to Chinatown, Broadway, and Bemelmans. But it's also a list inflected with our own personal tastes as different types of New Yorkers, people who have lived here for quite a while and uncovered some goods that are decidedly off the beaten path. Below, find our list of the best things to do in NYC.
Read our complete New York City travel guide here, which includes:
- The Best Hotels in NYC
- The Best Day Trips from NYC
- The Best Restaurants in NYC
- The Best New Restaurants in NYC
- The Best Steakhouses in NYC
- The Best Jewish Food in NYC
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Additional reporting by Andrea Whittle and Melissa Liebling-Goldberg.
Michael GrimmrestaurantBalthazar
$$Keith McNally's flagship restaurant—this is also the master behind such atmospheric Manhattan mainstays as Pastis, Minetta Tavern, and Morandi (and the Odeon, which ex-wife and ex-business partner Lynn Wagenknecht got in the divorce and runs to perfection to this day), each also worth a visit if I may suggest a “Keith McNally crawl”—is a high-ceilinged, brasserie-inspired scene to end all scenes. Martinis are omnipresent at the bar and in deep red-leather booths. So are steak frites smothered in peppercorn sauce. But the asset that's fabulous with the greatest diversity are the patrons—like if that New York magazine cover all convened to share a meal. Alison Roman once told Interview: “The food is so bad, it’s too expensive, I love going there.” She's being facetious for comedic effect—the food is just fine, but it is true that you're really going there to go there. With your expectations duly measured, enjoy an uncomplicated onion soup gratine and some yummy, well-buttered escargot for starters before moving on to the steak frites main event. For dessert, there's nowhere worth going more than the perfect profiteroles, poured with warm chocolate sauce tableside. To take a bit of New York City history with you, pick up a copy of McNally's memoir I Regret Almost Everything for the road.
Littleny/AlamyArthur Avenue
Almost every awning along the stretch of The Bronx's Arthur Avenue between D'Auria-Murphy Triangle and Ciccarone Park marks an Italian name possessing something—a pizzeria, a restaurant, a bakery. But just because it's all Italian, all the time along these two blocks doesn't mean all aren't welcome to come and patronize these establishments. It's some of the absolute best Italian food in New York City lined up for your convenience, bustling with life and good eats. Executive editor Erin Florio's relatives still do their Sunday shopping in the market, which she describes as "dusty but great." Poking around and picking a few things up there is really where it's at—bright seasonal produce, sausages of all stripes dangling from the ceiling, fresh-baked bread and vinegar-y imports from the old country line the walls in cans and jars. It's true one-stop shopping.
Annie Schlechter/Hotel ChelseahotelHotel Chelsea
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Hot List 2023Hotel Chelsea may not be filled with famous musicians anymore, but the rock-and-roll vibe remains. Long-term residents who have been grandfathered into their apartments in the building still float around, and most guests—usually drawn by the hotel’s history—have a knowingness to them, whether they’re in their 30s or 60s. The 155 guest rooms and suites have wood floors with the Hotel Chelsea monogram now inlaid; the sun dapples through ivory eyelet fabric on the windows; and the bathrooms are classically done with light and dark grey marble accentuated by bronze details. Animal-print chairs maintain a bit of spunk in the now bright, airy rooms, as do ornate dark wood bedside tables. Massive closets, their interiors a riot of wallpaper, make it even easier to imagine unpacking and sticking around for a while. If you visited the Chelsea back in the day, you’ll recognize the original fireplaces, stained glass windows, and those iconic wrought-iron balconies leaning over West 23rd Street, which have been restored. If you visit now, even just with a drink in the Lobby Bar, you'll get people watching that's nearly as good.
Robert K. Chin/AlamyactivityFilm Forum
This is the last independent, nonprofit cinema in New York City. Little has changed about this humble, unpretentious theater since it first opened in 1970 as a screening space for independent films—there's the big marquee outside, lighting up an otherwise quiet stretch of West Houston; a ticket booth with microphone and glass partition; and a red carpet underfoot. It's retro without feeling dated, a warm place out of time. Behind the concessions counter, by the way, are some very nice people selling some very good espresso and baked goods (try the cakes carrot and orange bundt) in addition to regular sodas and candies. From new and obscure cinema made outside the US to a dazzling assortment of global classics that has most recently included Midnight Cowboy and Le Samourai, you can rest assured that every last thing on the marquee is worth a few hours of your time.
GettyactivityCentral Park
To get that Nora Ephron New York experience, you have no choice but to take a stroll through Central Park while in the city. As you step off the crowded sidewalks of 59th Street into a mass of green, you’ll hardly realize what lies before you: 693 acres of man-made gardens, meadows, forests, and hillsides from the minds of Fredrick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vauk. If you were to amble down every one of Central Park’s pathways, you would walk 58 miles. Along the way, you'd pass sculptures, bridges, and arches, plus 21 playgrounds, a winter ice-skating rink, even a zoo . But you’d hardly notice the four major crosstown thoroughfares, which cleverly disappear into foliage-covered tunnels. Map your park route to stop at classic Central Park landmarks, like the Bethesda Fountain, Bow Bridge, Belvedere Castle, and the Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial. While part of Central Park's beauty is that most of its myriad pleasures are free, those looking to spend a buck or two on a meal at the Central Park Boathouse (which reopened in spring 2024 after a renovation) with a view of the rowboats, which are also lovely to rent if you have time to wait in the line.
GettyactivityChinatown
Chinatown is one of the neighborhoods that makes lower Manhattan vibrant and unforgettable. After surfacing from the steps of the Canal Street subway station onto the sidewalk, meandering past thick crowds, neon light shops, and vendors peddling fake designer bags, you’ll find yourself in the narrow streets of Chinatown, where there are bright heaps of produce, succulent ducks hanging in windows, and restaurants old and new. Touching Tribeca, SoHo, Little Italy, and the Lower East Side, Chinatown has a rich history and began being populated by Chinese immigrants as early as the 1850s. You can visit in whichever way makes sense for you. Whether you spend an hour devouring a box of roast pork or duck from street-style Wah Fung No. 1 before you have to proceed elsewhere (other Traveler-editor favorites include Spicy Village, Mei Lah Wah, and Shu Jiao Fu Zhou) or you spend half a day shopping for produce, dining out, and paying a visit to the Museum of Chinese in America, everyone will gain something from a visit to Chinatown.
GettyactivityBrooklyn Bridge
When the Brooklyn Bridge was constructed in 1883—extending 1,595 feet across the East River, connecting lower Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights—it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Now, it’s a historic staple of the New York City skyline, transporting commuter car traffic underneath and touristic foot traffic above. Standing before arches and rectangles with city skyscrapers rising in the distance, will at once inspire a sense of grandiosity and slightness.
Nicholas KnightactivityThe Noguchi Museum
$This intimate, meditative museum in Long Island City was conceived and built by Isamu Noguchi himself. Here, his mostly abstract sculptures and often-copied paper lamps are displayed across two levels of exhibition space and throughout a quiet, ivy-covered walled garden. Even if you're not familiar with Noguchi's work, you've probably come across one of his Akari light sculptures—geometric or globular lamps made of washi paper and bamboo that glow softly from within—which have become something of a modern design trope since he started designing them in the early 1950s.
Dan Gold/UnsplashactivityYankee Stadium
A spring or summer day spent cheering at an NYC ballpark is a classic activity for a reason. Located in the Bronx, Yankee Stadium is the home field of New York’s 27-time World Champions. It’s a half-hour subway ride from Penn Station (take the AC to the D) and just around 20 minutes from Grand Central Terminal via the 4 train, making it easily accessible from Manhattan. It replaced the 1923 original in 2009 and cost $1.5 billion to build, making it one of the world’s most expensive stadiums. It seats 50,287 fans. New York Yankees games, obviously, are the main event here, but you can also attend concerts, college football, and soccer matches. With regard to food, Mets home stadium Citi Field may have them beat, but there are still great options here like Lobel's pastrami or the 99 Burger (only 99 are served per game, so go there first if you're keen) alongside standard hot dogs and hamburgers.
AirbnbactivityJewish Brooklyn: Tours of Hasidic Brooklyn
The pockets of Brooklyn inhabited predominately by the Hasidic are not often explored on the average Big Apple itinerary. There are two guided tours you can take of Hasidic Brooklyn: Frieda Vizel's of conservative Williamsburg and the Friedman family's of the slightly-more-flexible Crown Heights (none yet open us to the cosmopolitan Borough Park.) The former rendezvouses in the bus plaza just below the Williamsburg Bridge, the latter around the dining room table of a family home. From there, you're off to the races learning from people who know and love their subject deeply. You'll also sample kosher sweets and stop at the deli, dip into a toy store or wigmaker, and meet quite a few friendly faces. Both are excellent ways to immerse yourself, for a few hours, in the culture of some of Brooklyn’s more enigmatic inhabitants.
Philip Scalia/AlamyactivityThe Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine on 112th and Amsterdam in Upper Manhattan’s Morningside Heights is the largest cathedral in the world and the sixth-largest church by area. Hundreds of thousands of visitors walk through these doors annually for a reason. The cathedral itself—and its remarkable Gothic architecture, story-telling stained glass windows, and 17th century tapestries—is already worth visiting. But there is artwork that is especially meaningful to New York City here as well, including Keith Haring's white gold and bronze altarpiece and a 9/11 memorial sculpture by Meredith Bergmann, which holds debris of the towers in it. The cathedral holds daily and Sunday worship services, which welcome all. There is no charge to pray, meditate, or contemplate in the cathedral. Visitors who show for sightseeing purposes can enter for $15 admission. Special tours are offered depending on the day of the week.
Michael Lee/GettyStaten Island Ferry
One of the first things associate editor Hannah Towey did when she moved to New York City was board the (free! bright orange!) Staten Island Ferry by Battery Park at Manhattan's bottom, watch the sunset over the water on her way to that far-flung borough, and then turn around and get right back on for the return to Manhattan. Forget the outrageously expensive Statue of Liberty cruises and the discomfort of the official ferry (although Ellis Island, unfortunately the next stop on the same trip, is worth a visit)—here you see plenty of Lady Liberty, Governor's Island, and the skyline without opening your purse. It's a dreamy 25 minutes each way, passed easily watching the myriad terns dip into the ship's wake. This is not to say you shouldn't spend a few hours on Staten Island if you have the time—the Botanical Garden is as gorgeous as it is free, and the food is impeccable with abundant Sri Lankan options (try New Asha, although you can't go wrong anywhere) and excellent Italian at Enoteca Maria for nonnas, their appreciators, and fans of the Netflix film depicting the restaurant's founding (beware that the success of the latter means it's nearly impossible to book a table.)
activitySnug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
If there's one place to pay a visit once you've taken the Staten Island Ferry on over, it's Snug Harbor. While you could walk—it’s 1.6 miles from the Ferry terminal—Uber or the S40 bus will get you to the gates in 10 or 15 minutes respectively. The full name of this 83-acre campus is Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, and there are as many things to do and see here as that all-encompassing name promises. There are the original three structures, built in the early 19th century as the dying wish of the heir to a shipping fortune to build a haven for “aged, decrepit, and worn-out sailors.” (Unsurprisingly, it is rumored to be haunted.) Until the mid-20th-century, the facility flourished, housing around 900 residents from around the world and operating farms, a dairy, bakery, power plant, hospital, and more. Through a period of decline (and continuing funding gaps), Snug Harbor is now a museum and art gallery with extensive grounds also housing a working farm. The real showstopper is the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, the beauty of which must be seen to be believed. Ahead of your visit, be sure to check their events calendar for daily happenings.
GettyBroadway
For locals and first-time visitors alike, seeing a Broadway show is a special experience, and one that is exclusive to New York City. Times Square is ordinarily a drag, but when you’re moseying into Midtown Manhattan for a show the bright billboards and lights don’t flash in your face—they dazzle in your eyes. A Broadway show's costumes, sets, songs, and stories are the stuff of dreams. Shows that could very well run forever include Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton, but there's also an ever-rotating selection of revivals and debuts worth checking out. And that's not to mention the more daring fare happening downtown at theaters like the Public, Off-Broadway. We also have a handy guide outlining where to eat near Broadway that you can check out here.
Don Riddle/Bemelmans BarbarBemelmans Bar
$$$At Bemelmans, Ludwig Bemelman's illustrations—you might remember them from the Madeline books—adorn the walls. In one panel, a bunny smokes a cigar in Central Park; in another, a man hands a boy a clutch of balloons. This is a bar where gawking is permissible. The cocktails here very much depend on who’s making them: an Old Fashioned might be a bit watery, a whiskey sour too tart. But often a dirty gin Martini is just perfectly executed. Everything is expensive—it’s clear why you’re here—so take the edge off that sensation by digging into the free, hearty snacks that float your way.
GettyactivityNew York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden has carefully manicured flower gardens, lush fields, winding hikes, and impeccable greenhouses. There are spaces that feel deeply intimate, as if you're truly separated from the world, and there are vast expanses where it's hard to believe you're still in the Bronx. In winter, the greenhouses host an annual train show recreating all of New York City in miniature; the warmer months bring every floral delight imaginable, from cherry trees to peonies. Plan to spend at least half a day here and pack a picnic.
GettyBrooklyn Heights Promenade
It’s one thing to be in the midst of Manhattan, on the ground; it’s quite another to look upon it from across the river. In Brooklyn Heights, a couple subway stops away from lower Manhattan, the city’s image looms large before you. Arguably the best view of the skyline in the city, the Brooklyn Heights promenade hovers above the Brooklyn-Queen Expressway. Underlying the peaceful, tree-lined walkway, traffic rumbles below. The promenade stretches from Remsen Street at the south end to Middagh Street at the north. Around the corner, pedestrians can discretely cross a basketball court to access a suspended footbridge that zigzags down to the piers of Brooklyn Bridge Park. While in the picturesque neighborhood, make stops at the New York Transit Museum, the Sardinian trattoria River Deli, and the old-time dive bar Montero.
Jin Lee/9/11 Memorial & Museumactivity9/11 Memorial and Museum
Every American should visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at least once. As you enter the museum, you descend from the street to bedrock level—the foundation of the former Twin Towers—and are placed in a meditative mindset, forced to recall where you were on that fateful day. The museum itself is a masterful balance: It's grand in scale, contemplative in its construction, and personal in its execution. It pays homage to the enormity of the loss, both physical and spiritual.
Brett Beyer/The Met CloistersactivityThe Cloisters
Located on four acres in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, the Met Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is America’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. The building overlooks the Hudson River and actually incorporates five medieval-inspired cloisters into a modern museum structure, creating a historic, contextualized backdrop in which to view the art.
GettyactivityMuseum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Located in Midtown Manhattan, the MoMA is larger than it appears as you approach it from the street below. One of the world’s most influential museums—displaying the works of important artists like Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, and Diane Arbus—it has 630,000 square feet of space and attracts more than a million visitors a year. While making a beeline for the fifth-floor Collection Galleries to take in The Starry Night and Monet’s Water Lilies is understandable, don’t miss the exhibitions, which tell new stories and can only be experienced in a limited time frame. Allocate time to spend pouring over the remarkable books and objects in the famous gift shop, too—an NYC must-visit in its own right.
Roy Rochlin/GettyactivityApollo Theater
Countless careers have been made and stars have passed through this world famous, legendary Harlem theater—Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross, Lauryn Hill, and D’Angelo to name a few. The venue—which began as a white-only burlesque destination until 1934, when under new ownership it began welcoming and becoming central to the Black community—has been active for 88 years, with swing, blues, jazz, R&B, and comedy acts taking the stage. Today, visitors can attend events like Amateur Night at the Apollo, one of the city’s most long-standing, fame-making live shows. Capacity is 1,500, with three levels of seating, and contrary to the way it appears on 'Showtime at the Apollo,' is intimate without much legroom.
GettyactivityProspect Park
Prospect Park is in many ways the Central Park of Brooklyn; in fact, it was designed shortly after by the same team of architects, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and has many of the same features: sprawling meadows, walking trails, and picturesque bodies of water. In feeling though, it’s more rambling and less manicured than its touristed Manhattan counterpart. Prospect Park Woodlands is Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, with 250 acres of trees, turtles, chipmunks, 200 species of birds, and other fauna and flora. There's also basketball and tennis courts, a carousel, playgrounds, zoo, and a 3.35-mile loop for runners and bikers (they’re fast—watch out!). While there, make a trip to adjacent Brooklyn Botanic Garden, particularly lovely during cherry blossom season.
GettyactivityConey Island
$Coney Island has a reputation as a circus-worthy tourist trap, which is exactly what it is. But you may be surprised by the old-timey charms of this beachfront American town. You’ll definitely be impressed by the food and drinks—Totonno's Pizza, Gargiulo's and Coney Island Brewery in particular. Locals and tourists hang out on the beach, eat ice cream cones on the promenade, and stand in line for the famed Cyclone roller coaster. The beach and boardwalk along with spots like Nathan’s are open year-round. The amusement park itself is seasonal. Events like the annual Mermaid Parade (crowded as they may be) are worth watching for the audacity and theatrics you can’t find anywhere else in the world but Coney Island.
Ben Michel/UnsplashactivityLincoln Center
World-renowned performing arts center Lincoln Center is always worth visiting when the opportunity arises. The sprawling Upper West Side complex is also home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Juilliard. All kinds of music, dance, theater, and films show here; highlights from the upcoming calendar include the rapturously energetic New York Film Festival (catch the latest films long before they hit theaters, embedded in one of the most fabulously reactive audiences on this Earth), operas like Porgy and Bess, and bountiful ballets as well as live chamber music. Whether you’re on a special date or reconnecting with old friend when you’re in town, seeing a live performance or even a film at Lincoln Center will always make for an elegant and memorable night out.
GettyactivityWashington Square Park
If people-watching is your sport, Washington Square Park is your place. Entertainment is a given in this intimate, not-quite 10-acre space, filled with career chess players, musicians, performers, students, sunbathers, strollers, and general throngs of Greenwich Villagers, desperate for a bit of fresh air. Take your time as you go through: Pause beneath Washington Arch, honoring our country’s first president (for whom the Park is named), and observe the laurel wreaths and intricate motifs that extend from the base to the keystones, atop which twin eagles perch like constant watchmen. Washington Square Park is the beating heart of this vibrant New York neighborhood.
GettyactivityThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
For nearly a century and a half, the Met has remained the cultural epicenter of New York City, thanks to forward-thinking exhibits and an extensive permanent collection. With its Gothic-Revival-style building, iconic tiered steps, and Central Park location, the building is a sight to be seen. But step inside its Great Hall—as a ceaseless parade of museumgoers move to-and-fro—and you’ll feel the overwhelming sense of possibility and discovery that lays beyond. If you've got limited time or compatriots with limited attention spans, start with the Temple of Dendur, a 2,000-year-old soaring Egyptian temple (the only complete one in the Western Hemisphere.) The revolving trove of art exhibits are also worth keeping an eye out for, whether it's the Costume Institute's annual offering or a deep dive on one of the greats like Sargent.
Nagamitsu Endo/Blue Note Jazz ClubbarBlue Note Jazz Club
Blue Note has been one of the best jazz clubs in New York, and the world, since the 1980s. It offers music every night at 8 p.m. and 10:30, and on Friday and Saturday nights has a late night series at 12:30 a.m., which showcases emerging talent. If you're looking to get a taste of jazz in NYC, you can do no better. Over the years, legendary musicians including Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ray Charles have performed on the Blue Note Stage, as well as contemporary jazz acts such as Wynton Marsalis, Keith Jarrett, and Chris Botti. Tables are intimate, close-set, and all-ages (with the bar being 21-plus).
Courtesy GrowNYC/Union Square GreenmarketshopUnion Square Greenmarket
Union Square is a place of the people, not unlike the agoras of ancient Athens—and no offering of Union Square showcases this quality quite like the bustling Greenmarket. From upstate New York, the Berkshires, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, vendors sell artisan bread, honey, fresh-cut flowers, heritage meats, pastries, seasonal fruits and vegetables both common and uncommon, and much more. Don't miss the free events, like book signings and more: Cooking demos take place at the Market Information tent daily, beer and spirits pop-ups show seasonally, and the education station offers tours and tastings.
Ian Dagnall/AlamyactivityRockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center sits in the heart of midtown Manhattan, both in terms of its physical location and its prominent place in the city's folklore and culture. Whether you want to check out a performance on the plaza outside the TODAY show, visit the Christmas tree, or practice your best moves on the ice skating rink, you're in for an iconic, family-friendly experience. If you buy a ticket to Top of the Rock, you'll enjoy spectacular views of the city below. No matter where you are, you're bound to be constantly pointing and shouting “hey, look at that!”
AlamyactivityComedy Cellar
None of the promoters on MacDougal Street shouting “stand-up comedy tonight!” are trying to get you into the Comedy Cellar, where the show is already sold out. Blockbuster stars like Jerry Seinfeld and Eddie Murphy made their names at the Cellar; if you're lucky, one may show up the night you're there. Seating is intimate and close together, and there is a two-item minimum on food or drinks. It's 21-plus and vaccine-mandatory; be prepared to surrender your phone at the door, too. There's no bad seat in the house, but sit in the front at your own risk of getting (playfully) heckled by the host or a comic.
AMNHD/FinninactivityAmerican Museum of Natural History
Truly one of the world's great natural history museums, the American Museum of Natural History spans four city blocks just across from Central Park. All aspects of the natural world are represented here, from a vast collection of taxidermy mammals, to depictions of the life of Native American tribes, to an entire hall dedicated to marine life—including a life-size model of a blue whale. The crown jewel is the dinosaur floor, with an imposing Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that dominates the room. The newest attraction comes in the form of the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, which opened in May of 2023 and, among many other things, boasts a comprehensive insectarium and vivarium. Breathtaking architecture from New York-based Jeanne Gang doesn't hurt, either—the cavernous lobby brings to mind the underground fortresses of Dune, and are thoughtfully designed so that there are no dead ends. Just as with knowledge itself, the possibilities here are endless.
AlamyshopThe Strand Book Store
With its towering stacks, filled with more than 2.5 million titles, this 94-year-old bookstore is less neighborhood haunt and more globally recognized institution. You could call the Strand's employees tour guides, considering their deft ability to find the exact title you're looking for and recommend a book you may not have otherwise plucked from the shelves. The store will make you question why you don’t read more; and chances are you won’t leave empty-handed.
Julie Larsen Maher/Bronx ZooactivityBronx Zoo
With more than 700 different species spread across 265 acres of parkland thoughtfully designed to mimic natural habitats, the Bronx Zoo is a great place to escape from Manhattan for the day, especially if you're traveling with kids. Don't miss the giraffe building, the Congo gorilla forest, the house of reptiles, and the flamingos in the sea bird aviary. And the sea lions always make for an exciting show. The grounds are enormous, but there's a shuttle that loops between various points of interest. The grounds have plenty of signs, places to sit down and regroup, and bathrooms.
GettyactivityGovernors Island
Located in New York Harbor, only 800 yards from Manhattan and 400 yards from Brooklyn, walking onto quirky, car-free, brick-covered, 173-acre Governors Island feels like being transported to an alternate universe from the city—but in reality it's a quick, affordable ferry ride away. One-way fare is $4 and boats are serviced from Lower Manhattan’s Battery Maritime Building every day, as well as from Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook on the weekends. In the past couple of years, Governors Island has become an even more popular city destination, and has welcomed a slew of new luxury businesses. One is special in particular: Collective, the only place you can stay overnight on the island. Collective is a glamping experience, offering plush beds inside the tents, morning yoga, sunset cocktails, and iconic skyline views—Lady Liberty included, herself. Which is all to say, you’re by no means roughing it here. On the menu at their restaurant, you’ll find grilled seafood, gorgeous spreads of pastries, and more. Another luxury experience new to the island is QC NY Spa, with top-grade saunas and a skyline view-filled pool.
Sascha Kilmer/GettyactivityRockaway Beach
One of the best public beaches you can visit in New York City proper, Rockaway is a sandy, sprawling stretch of surf located in Queens on the Atlantic Ocean, complete with a 5.5-mile boardwalk of delicious concessions. A summery way to get there in style? Take the ferry from Wall Street or Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and let the wind blow through your hair as you take in the city views, sailing under the Verrazano Bridge and past Coney Island on the way. From just about everywhere else in the city, you can also get there via the A train. Each stretch has a different crowd and personality: Beach 90-106 is the busiest section, with the most food and drink options; Beaches 67-69 as well as 90-92 are the surfing zones; between Beach 153 and Beach 169 you’ll find Jacob Riis Park, which is popular with young people and is a summer gathering place for the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
GettyactivityEmpire State Building
$$The Empire State Building may be the most recognizable building in the United States. The 102-story skyscraper was the tallest building in the world for 40 years and even though it's been surpassed by dozens of projects on three continents, it remains a New York icon. With more than 4 million visitors a year, there are always long lines to buy tickets, so it’s best to purchase in advance online. Yes, the VIP Express pass is double the price of a standard ticket, but you skip all the lines and go straight up to the 86th Floor Observatory, which might mean the difference between happy kiddos and whiny are-we-there-yet ones. (Kids under six are free.) One of the best views of the Empire State Building is on the corner of 26th Street and Madison Avenue: close enough to see details, but far enough away to get all of it in one frame. Don't miss the Art Deco lobby, with its 24-karat gold-leaf ceiling murals and famous starburst bas relief.
Randy Duchaine/AlamyactivityIndustry City
This stretch of waterfront has been a hub of Brooklyn manufacturing since Irving T. Bush first developed his family's rail-marine terminal (then called Bush Terminal) in the mid-1890s to add warehouse structures. The sprawling campus that stands today in the quiet Sunset Park neighborhood is Industry City, the ripe and succulent fruit of decades' worth of redevelopment efforts. The idea here is one-stop shopping: Pick up a coffee from one proprieter and sip it while flitting through the Makers’ Guild’s wonderful artisan shops. There's also a slate of full-service restaurants and outdoor spaces—manicured lawns on-par with what you'd expect from those in a private, luxury apartment building.
Russian Turkish BathsactivityRussian Turkish Baths
This is a really nice place to hang out for half a day—beneath the churning East Village, sweating it out in a no-frills den of functionality. Up a steep, nondescript stoop in that neighborhood and through a heavy door and you’re in, leaving your wallet in a safety deposit box in exchange for a locker room key and then down another stair to the subterranean saunas and steam rooms. They’ve got ‘em all here, from the red hot Russian room (where they also perform the platza venik treatment) to a more bearable Turkish, with a cold plunge and showers for in-between regulation. There’s also a bountiful food menu serving up such classics as borscht and beef stew to keep you nurtured.
David HealdactivityGuggenheim
The Guggenheim is a radical departure from the typical museum layout—and from every other building in New York, for that matter. The circular concrete structure stands in stark contrast to the rectangular steel-and-glass buildings that surround it. Inside, a central ramp—which spirals upward and outward from one exhibition floor to the next—creates an open interior space, flooded with daylight that pours in through a glass dome. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the iconic building that houses Solomon R. Guggenheim's modern art collection, which includes paintings by Kandinsky, plus works by Picasso, Klee, Miró, and more.
Liam Marshall/Courtesy Intrepid Sea, Air & Space MuseumactivityIntrepid
The Intrepid is a floating museum: a WWII aircraft carrier with a storied naval career home to some of the most famous air and spacecraft in the world, plus exciting experiences and exhibits that will thrill your young history and aviation buffs. The Intrepid served in WWII, Vietnam and throughout the Cold War era; after it was decommissioned, it was installed at Pier 86 on the Hudson River. For four months after 9/11, the vessel served as the FBI’s field office. Today it's a National Historic Landmark. The main hangar deck is home to the fully interactive Exploreum, where kids of all ages can climb into the cockpit of a Bell 47 helicopter and slide into a 40-foot submarine. Space nerds (and parents who grew up during NASA's space shuttle era) should make a beeline for the Space Shuttle Pavilion. They can get up close to the Space Shuttle Enterprise and experience virtual microgravity in the International Space Station VR experience.
Courtesy Brooklyn Academy of MusicactivityBrooklyn Academy of Music
Locals love BAM for quite a few reasons. It is our movie theater and our theater theater, the place we walk past to and from Whole Foods but also the place where we meet dates and friends to take the culture in. BAM has everything—Wes Anderson films, A Streetcar Named Desire with Paul Mescal, an outdoor bazaar pegged to DanceAfrica, their longest-running program. Between all the programming, there is something for everybody and then some.
Roosevelt Island Operating CorporationactivityRoosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island is worth a visit for the tram ride it takes to get there alone; a mere swipe of the MetroCard and there you are swinging above the East River like a teddy bear in a basket. That novel transport from and to Manhattan aboard that happy red tram is an activity in and of itself, with great views of the city, but once on Roosevelt there's more to explore. Car traffic is minimal, for one thing, and it's super walkable. Highlights include the Manhattan Healing Forest (a rare quiet place amidst New York's cacophony) and the Panorama Room atop the Graduate hotel.
Courtesy Barclays CenteractivityBarclays Center
Forget Madison Square Garden. They've got the Knicks, sure, but Barclays has everything else—not just the Nets and the on-fire Liberty, Telfar-toting Ellie the Elephant and all, but also thoughtful food and beverage programs and far better vibes inside and out. There are two new premium membership-only clubs—The Toki Row and JetBlue at The Key—that are worth looking into for sure, but no matter where you're sitting it's worth catching a game (or a concert, for that matter) here while you're in town.
Rob Kim/Getty ImagesactivityKnockdown Center
New York City has seen its fair share of nightlife nexus points—Meatpacking, the DMZ between East Williamsburg and Bushwick—and now, the best dancing can be found in….Maspeth? That's right, folks, you've got to take an Uber to get there but it's well worth it for a night at the expansive Knockdown Center. The 50,000-square-foot building encompasses two huge dance floors, an outdoor space aptly called the Ruins, and rather infamous downstairs venue Basement. It's a great place to listen and dance to electronic music—it's more for true heads than those who like to congeal into little circles on the dance floor—whether you're there on a random weekend or for one of their banner festivals like WIRE or Outline.
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