100 things every New Yorker needs to do

You already know you live in the greatest city in the world, but with so many people suggesting things to do, it can be hard to decide what is absolutely necessary. Luckily we’ve got you covered, from high-cultured events at museums, to food at amazing NYC restaurants, to all-night raves. Check enough of these off your list and you, my friend, are a true-blue New Yorker.

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Explore the Temple of Dendur at the Met

Get rush tickets for a popular Broadway show

Catch a secret-until-the-last-minute performance by a huge musician in a small club

Order a full steak spread at Peter Luger Steak House (“Holy Cow” included)

Go wild at a secret all-night party, like a Blkmarket Membership bash, and dance until 10am

Make out on the Brooklyn Promenade

Buy something shady in Chinatown, bonus if it’s in a secret backroom

Bike around Governors Island

Eat pizza from Grimaldi's as a reward for walking across the Brooklyn Bridge

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise

Munch on tacos in the Rockaways

Take a graffiti walking tour in the Bronx

Grab a spot in Bryant Park for a film screening

Join a Flushing Szechuan eating tour

See Saturday Night Live as an audience member (a dress rehearsal counts)

Catch a DIY show at Trans-Pecos

Tour the Brooklyn Brewery

Swim in the ocean at Fort Tilden

Sing the Rangers' goal song with 18,200 of your closest friends at MSG

Drink a beer at the best Brooklyn dive bar, Sunny’s

See a free summer concert at Celebrate Brooklyn!

Feel cultured at an artsy revival at Film Forum

Attend opening night at the Metropolitan Opera House

Walk the full length of Houston Street from the Hudson River to the East River—correct any tourist you hear pronouncing it like a city in Texas as you go

Savor an everything bagel at Barney Greengrass

Shout out a suggestion during an improv show at UCB or The PIT

Wake up before dawn to get in line for a ticket to Shakespeare in the Park

Eat a hot dog at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island and promptly making yourself sick on the Cyclone

Run the track around the Central Park Reservoir

Appreciate live jazz at the Village Vanguard

Clink cocktails with a special someone on the Met's rooftop bar

Catch the opening bell at the NYSE, disregard the rest of list if you’re the one ringing it

Laugh at a stand-up set at the Comedy Cellar, act suprised when a famous comedian drops in to try out some new material

Enjoy a groundbreaking cabaret performance at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater

Buy designer clothes for less than a Benjamin at a sample sale

Eat a fresh cannoli from an Italian bakery on Arthur Ave

See a Moth StorySLAM at the Bell House, and get up the nerve to tell your own story one day

Dress up for the opening night at Chelsea’s art galleries, and down free booze

Learn your New York history at the Tenement Museum

Stay for the fireworks after a Friday night Brooklyn Cyclone’s or Staten Island Yankees baseball game

Feel the holiday spirit with every kick from the Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Complete the crying-in-public transportation trifecta—bus, train and ferry—because this city can be rough

Slurp down soup dumplings from Joe’s Shanghai in Flushing

Lose your way in Central Park and find yourself far from the usual destinations

Shell out the money for Sleep No More—it’s worth it

Go to the Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society after a particularly cute baby animal (e.g. tiger, gorilla, red panda…) is born

Ask a famous director a question at a Tribeca Film Festival Q & A after a screening

Wear a costume in the Village Halloween Parade

Chow down on an authentic pierogi from a Polish restaurant in Greenpoint

Confess your love for your fill-in-the-blank (partner/the city/pizza) from the top of the Empire State Building

Dance the day away at MoMA PS1’s Warm Up

Welcome spring with the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Argue with a stranger about the merits of your preferred New York team at a Mets vs Yankees Subway Series game

Play piano with your feet at FAO Schwarz when it opens at its new location

Swim for free at a public pool

Drink vodka and eat like a Russian in Brighton Beach

Let go of your inhibitions at a burlesque show at the Slipper Room

Forget your ill will toward tourists and visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

Buy a $5 umbrella on the street corner, then lose or break it within the hour—it’s a rite of passage

Ride the water taxi to buy cheap furniture at the Ikea in Redhook

The night before Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, go see the balloons being inflated

Celebrate the lunar new year in Chinatown

Join the crowds at a massive concert in Central Park

Take the tram to Roosevelt Island

Spend a rainy day among fossils at the American Museum of Natural History

Sober up with a dollar slice from 2 Bros Pizza at 2am, regret nothing

Smell the flowers at the annual orchid show at the New York Botanical Garden

Cool off on a hot day by dipping your feet in the Washington Square Park fountain

Eat a hot dog from Gray’s Papaya, regret everything

Hop on a trolley tour of the Green-Wood Cemetery

Nab one of the coveted lawn chairs on the High Line

See a show at the Apollo Theater

Drink a cheap bottle of beer on the deck of the Staten Island Ferry and feel free to shout out, “I’m the king of Kings County!”

Learn about something weird or spooky at the Morbid Anatomy Museum

Eat a slice of ‘za off a paper plate from Joe’s Pizza while watching the basketball players at the W 4th St Courts

Nap away the afternoon in Hammock Grove on Governor’s Island

Shout-sing every word to “New York State of Mind” at a Billy Joel concert

Ice skate at Rockefeller center

Gorge at Smorgasburg

Find a bargain $1 book or a signed/rare edition classic on Strand Book Store’s shelves

Photograph Manhattanhenge from the middle of a major street

Spot Chris Noth, Sarah Jessica Parker or a Baldwin brother roaming the streets of Manhattan (For extra cred, barely care)

Get into a shouting match with a cab driver who refuses to take you to Brooklyn or Queens after midnight

Play shuffleboard, table tennis and/or pool at Fat Cat

Witness the New York City Ballet in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

Picnic in Sheep Meadow

Trek to the Cloisters to see Unicorn tapestries and other medieval art

Finish a whole sandwich from the 2nd Ave Deli

Relax those weary muscles at Spa Castle

Treat an armed service member to a drink during Fleet Week

Try enough noteworthy cupcakes (Magnolia, Billy’s Bakery, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Sprinkles, etc) to write a dissertation explaining your favorite

Shake that booty at an outdoor silent disco

Be amazed (and quite possibly grossed out) at the the Coney Island Sideshow

Read a book at the New York Public Library main branch

Admire the view from the F and G trains between the Fourth Ave–9th St and Carroll St stops

Pay what you wish on a Sunday at the Frick Museum

Sing your heart out at Gagopa Karaoke in Koreatown

Check out some indie films at the New York Film Festival

Play a sport—tennis, volleyball, softball—at a New York public park

Wait in line for a stellar temporary exhibit at MoMA

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