Things To Do
Circle Line Cruise
Circle Line Cruises offer tourist boat cruises around the NYC waterways. They offer various tours to meet your budget and time, but we recommend the "Best of NYC" cruise which goes all the way around Manhattan Island. It's a great way to orient yourself with all the boroughs of the city, learn fun facts, and to see the biggest sights from the water. It's worth getting there a bit early in order to get a seat on the top deck!
The Met Cloisters
The Cloisters Museum is a lesser known part of The Met's Museums. It's located at the top of Manhattan Island. The museum was designed to house and showcase much of the Met's collection of Medieval art and architecture. In addition to amazing paintings, tapestries, reliquaries, tombs, and architectural details, it also has a traditional herb garden modeled on old monastic practices. Its most famous artworks are the Unicorn Tapestries dating from 1495–1505. Situated in Fort Tryon Park looking out over the Hudson, it's a bit of a trek but so beautiful and totally worth the trip on a nice day!
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met needs no introduction! Simply one of the best museums in the world.
The Museum of Modern Art
Another classic NYC museum!
The High Line
The Highline is a 1.45 mile-long public park situated on an abandoned, elevated train track on Manhattan's west side. Featuring walkways, benches, and native flora, It's simply one of the most innovative and interesting public works project in NYC's recent past. It travels through the Meatpacking and Chelsea neighborhoods.
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum is situated in the Meat Packing District of Manhattan. The museum focuses on Modern and contemporary American art. There are a lot of high end restaurants and shops close by, and you can hop on the High Line for a walk before or after.
One World Observatory
Situated at the top of the One World Trade Center, the glass-enclosed observation level offers amazing views of Manhattan and the NYC harbor. If you'd prefer a view from midtown, try the observation deck at 30 Rockefeller Center.
New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Gardens are NYC's most renowned botanical gardens and they're located in the Bronx. It's a trek up there, but we hear they're world-class and 'a must' for the botany enthusiast (haven't made it up there ourselves yet!).
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Situated within the grounds of Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a personal favorite for us. It's not as large or elaborate as the New York Botanical Gardens up in the Bronx, but it's a lovely garden with a huge variety of flora! We're members so we go all the time. The rose garden and Japanese garden are our favorite parts!
Dumbo
Dumbo (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is a famous neighborhood of Brooklyn. It's know for its historic cobble stone streets, old warehouses, and amazing views of downtown Manhattan. The neighborhood has cafes, upscale dining, and boutique shops. For a major splurge dinner, we recommend the River Café situated on the waterfront. However, it's just as nice to grab an ice cream cone or a sandwich for a casual lunch and stroll in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket
The Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza is a popular Saturday morning event. It runs year-round from 8am-2pm on Saturdays. The vendors here are all regional and focus on organic, unprocessed, and free-range produce and products. The food stuffs are great, but there's usually vendors with non-perishable souvenirs too!
The Flower District
28th Street between 6th and 7th avenues in Manhattan is called "The Flower District." This block is lined with flower shops whose inventories spill out onto the street. The shops are open in the mornings with most closing by 10:30am or noon (best to go during the week but some are open on Saturdays too). It's a fun little outing for the floral enthusiast if you find yourself in that neighborhood!
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a commuter ferry that runs from Whitehall Pier in downtown Manhattan to Saint George Terminal on Staten Island. A nice part of this boat trip is that it's free! It won't take you to and from any tourist sites, but it's a fun way to get out on the water, see the downtown skyline, and pass by the Statue of Liberty. There's a concession stand on the ferry where you can buy beer and snacks. The ride each way takes about 25 minutes, and the ferries leave each station every 30 minutes during normal commuting hours. Once you get over to Staten Island, just reboard the boat and come right back (there's not much to see in Staten Island) !
NYC Ferries
There are ferry services that run all up and down Manhattan and Brooklyn and to and fro. The fares are low, and many of them go to and from some of the most popular waterfront neighborhoods. It's a fun way to get around if you're having a casual day out in the city. Click the link to see the ferry routes and schedules!
Smorgasburg
Smorgasburg is a very popular open-air food market featuring many different cuisines and specialties from local vendors. It started in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and has since expanded to other major cities in the U.S. There's a Smorgasburg on the waterfront in Williamsburg on Saturdays from 11am - 6pm, and one in Prospect Park on Sundays from 11am - 6pm.
Broadway
Broadway needs no introduction. Just click the link here to see what shows are playing when you're in town! There are so many options but The Lion King is the highest-grossing Broadway show for a good reason!
Grand Central Oyster Bar
The Grand Central Oyster Bar is an NYC classic. The restaurant is over 100 years old and features a huge range of fresh oysters and seafood from all over. The vaulted and tiled ceilings reflect the turn-of-the century grandiose Beaux Arts style Grand Central is famous for, but with the gingham tablecloths and diner-style counter stools it also feels like you're stepping into the 1950's. Either way, it's a time travel.
Brooklyn Bridge
Opened in 1883, Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest bridge spanning the East River. We recommend going for a stroll across the pedestrian path for great views of the East River and the downtowns of Manhattan and Brooklyn.