The 101 best things to do in NYC for locals and tourists

What is it? This gorgeous late 19th century neo-classical institution is one of the biggest museums in the world.  

Why go? It would take multiple visits to fully appreciate this sprawling–as in 13-acres of Central Park sprawling–collection of more than 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world. Visitors young and old are mesmerized by the Temple of Dendur, an Egyptian temple from 10 B.C. that was transposed from its Nile-side location to the bright, sun drenched Sackler Wing overlooking a reflective pool. Other highlights include the impressive array of European and Asian armor, Grecian sculptures, medieval art and contemporary photography. 

Don’t miss: "Throwing pennies ito the fountain by the Temple of Dendur," suggests Mary in Middle Village. "I swear every wish I've made there has come true." 

What is it? A 526-acre sprawling public park in the heart of Brooklyn. 

Why go? “Go to Prospect Park on a clear evening, lie in the grass, and watch the bats and the stars,” suggests Cat of Park Slope. While bicycling, warm-weather picnics and weekend runs are a must at this park, you can do pretty much any outdoor activity your heart desires: there’s bird-watching, baseball, basketball and more.

Don’t miss: We recommend roller skating or renting a paddle boat at LeFrak, which transforms into an ice skating rink in the winter.

What is it? The world's most famous green space. 

Why go? "Many visitors fight through the crowded streets to enter Central Park around 59th Street—where there’s not much to see—and by the time they reach the best bits, they are too winded to enjoy them," says Head of North American Content Rocky Rakovic. Instead, he suggests taking the subway to 72nd Street and Central Park West, then head east to hit up Strawberry Fields, the Sheep Meadow, Cherry Hill, Bow Bridge, the Bethesda Fountain, the Naumburg Bandshell, the Loeb Boathouse, the Hans Christian Andersen Monument, the Conservatory Water’s model boats and the Alice in Wonderland statue, all in a “New York hour.”

Don’t miss: Head to the shore of the Lake at 72nd Street and rent a rowboat or take a gondola tour. 

What is it? A true feat of 19th century engineering and arguably the one walk every local and visitor must take. 

Why go? This essential trek is "is so romantic that is has the power to turn platonic relationships into something more,” claims Javier in Little Italy. And you'll hear no arguments from us. The 1.3-mile-long stunner was the world's largest suspension bridge when it opened in 1883 it has remained an iconic landmark of the city ever since. 

Don’t miss: The Brooklyn side of the bridge ends in gorgeous Dumbo, where you can explore Brooklyn Bridge Park, gaze at Lady Liberty, visit the Brooklyn Flea on Sundays.

What is it? A renowned art museum and architectural icon with works by Picasso, Peggy Guggenheim’s trove of Cubist, Surrealist and Abstract Expressionist works, as well as the largest collection of Kandinskys in the United States.

Why go? Designed by original starchitect Frank Lloyd Wright, it's arguably the only New York museum that shows art inside a work of art. 

Don't miss: What makes the building a global icon is its stunning interior rotunda and oculus. There, along its ascending ramps, you’ll find a world-class collection, as well a full slate of temporary shows.

What is it? A once-abandoned elevated train track that was transformed into a crazy-popular, bucolic walkway. 

Why go? After years of legislation and major landscaping, the community group Friends of the High Line was able to morph the former elevated train line into a public space back in 2009. Now, people walking along the 1.45-mile park’s gardens, taking in sweet views of the Hudson, the Whitney Museum of Art plenty of pretty flowers and plants that are mostly indigenous to the region.   

Don’t miss: “Recline on the High Line’s wooden lounge chairs," suggests Dia from Bushwick. "It’s a really calming, litter-free spot of nature just above a bustling, stressed-out avenue.”

What is it? A series of restored tenement apartments on the Lower East Side that show visitors the day-to-day lives of past immigrant tenants. 

Why go? "You'll learn so much,” says Evelyn of Greenpoint about the guided tours here, which bring the history of New York’s immigrant population from the mid-1800s through to the early 20th Century to life. Before its incarnation as a museum, this site was once home to dozens of working class German, Jewish, Chinese and Italian families.

Don’t miss: The heartbreaking "The Moores: An Irish Family in America," which revisits a Dublin family who lived in the building in 1869.

What is it? A world-famous landmark that towers above Manhattan.  

Why go? The main deck on the 86th floor is the highest open-air observatory offers stunning 360-degree views of the Hudson and East Rivers, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and more. If you want to get higher, head to the 102nd floor's indoor observation deck for a full view of Central Park. And for some background, duck down to the "Dare to Dream" exhibit on the 80th floor, which honors the 3,400 people who built the 1,454-foot skyscraper and features original photographs, architectural sketches and construction notes. 

Don’t miss: Want to admire the ESB from a distance with a strong drink in hand? "For about $20, you can grab a drink, tip the bartender and take in amazing views from Rockefeller Plaza’s Bar SixtyFive at the Rainbow Room," notes Head of North American Content Rocky Rakovic. 

What is it? After nearly 50 years in its Marcel-Breur-designed building on Madison Avenue at 75th Street, the Whitney Museum decamped in 2015 to a new home in the Meatpacking District. 

Why go? Founded in 1931 by sculptor and art patron Gertrude Vanderbilt, the Whitney is dedicated to presenting the work of American artists. Its collection holds about 25,000 works by more than 3,500 American artists. Check out musts by Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper (the museum holds his entire estate), Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson, Georgia O’Keeffe and Claes Oldenburg. 

Don’t miss: Art editor Howard Halle suggests Hooper's 1930 masterpiece Early Sunday Morning.   

What is it? Since 1886, the most famous copper statue in the world has held her torch high in New York Harbor as the quintessential symbol of American liberty. 

Why go? The statue’s massive pedestal houses an observation deck as well as exhibits detailing the fascinating history of the 305-foot copper statue designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and gifted to the U.S. from France to celebrate the friendship of the two nations. Check out the original torch and read the bronze plaque with Emma Lazarus’s poem “A New Colossus” (you know, the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free). 

Don’t miss: Strapped for cash? "The Staten Island Ferry is free and sails near the robed icon," points out Head of North American Content Rocky Rakovic. "What’s more, it travels fast enough (the port-to-port voyage lasts 25 minutes) that your trip won’t take up the whole day, but it’s slow enough that you can nurse a beer and find the right angle for a nice Instagram of you and the old green gal." 

What is it? Set in a lovely park overlooking the Hudson River, the Cloisters houses the Met’s medieval art and architecture collections.

Why go? “My favorite place in New York is the Cloisters, even though I barfed there once in sixth grade on a field trip," says Lena Dunham. "I just think it’s the most beautiful, peaceful place." Indeed it is. Soak it all in by following a path that winds through the peaceful grounds to a castle that seems to have survived from the Middle Ages. (It was built less than 100 years ago, using material from five medieval French cloisters.)  

Don’t miss: The famous Unicorn Tapestries, the 12th-century Fuentidueña Chapel and the Annunciation Triptych by Robert Campin.  

What is it? An expertly curated, 150-year-old institution that fills visitors of all ages with a curiosity about the universe. 

Why go? Whether you’re interested in the world below our feet, or the cultures of faraway lands or the stars light-years beyond our reach, your visit is bound to teach you a few things you never knew. With four floors filled to the brim with artifacts, you could spend a whole day just looking at the taxidermied animals that hail from from North America, Asia, Africa, rain forests and the ocean. Or, conversely, you could spend a day like an anthropologist, studying just the human species, with halls dedicated to an array of different cultures.

Don’t miss: “Taking out-of-towners here and looking at the big blue whale from their eyes reminds you just how amazing it really is,” says Alise of the Upper East Side of the 94-foot-long suspended stunner. 

What is it? A moving tributes to the victims of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 andFebruary 26, 1993.  

Why go? Designed by Israeli architect Michael Arad, two of North America’s largest man-made waterfalls mark the footprint of each tower, framing the perimeter and cascading into reflecting pools almost an acre wide. The trees surrounding the area add to the mood of somber, tranquil reflection: Each one was selected from a 500-mile radius of the World Trade Center site, with others brought in from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the other places directly affected on 9/11. 

Don't miss: The museum provides a complete picture of the courage and compassion demonstrated locally, nationally and internationally after the attacks, and it’s interspersed with pieces of the towers and other debris recovered by those who risked their own lives to save others. 

What is it? A centrally located Manhattan park that serves as a bustling gathering point and houses the popular Union Square Greenmarket.

Why go? “I pick up everything I need for a romantic evening at home at the Union Square farmers market: wine, fresh meat and produce, and flowers,” says Dan of the West Village. Operating four days a week, the Union Square Greenmarket has vendors of every variety. The market began with just a few farmers in 1976, and in addition to some of the freshest produce in town, today’s park-goers can buy artisanal cheeses, wines from upstate vineyards, sweet jams and other goods from dozens of rotating stands. In the winter months, the park also houses a popular winter village packed full of local vendors offering unique holiday gifts.

Don’t miss: The seasonal restaurant located inside the park, Bocce USQ.

What is it? A 9.75-acre public park that serves as the beating heart of Greenwich Village. 

Why go? “Listening to the Piano Man [Colin Huggins] play in Washington Square Park—it’s so cool watching him wheel out his grand piano, and he’s an amazing performer,” says Sophie of the West Village. Most buskers are content to use instruments that are, you know, portable. But Huggins, the self-proclaimed “crazy piano guy,” is more ambitious. On nice days, he wheels out a baby grand to perform beautiful renditions of classical pieces.

Don’t miss: On hot summer days, dip your feet into the giant circular park fountain.

What is it? A Beaux-Arts landmark with insanely high ceilings, stunning chandeliers and massive arched windows that flood the halls with natural light.

Why go? “Waste time in the main branch of the New York Public Library, because it’s a beautiful building and just by being there I feel smarter somehow,” says Jane of the Lower East Side. Don’t mind if we do. Just try to keep your Ghostbusters reenactments to a minimum—people are trying to read!

Don’t miss: Those icon lions outside. Something the rest of the Instagrammers won’t have in their caption though, is that their names are Patience and Fortitude and they are made from Tennessee marble.

What is it? A ridiculously photogentic neighborhood teeming with tree-lined streets and Brooklyn brownstones. 

Why go? “Walk the fruit streets of Brooklyn Heights," suggests Dana in Crown Heights. Those streets (Cranberry, Orange and Pineapple) do indeed, as she puts it, "have that Brooklyn-from-the-movies feel.” And there's a nifty backstory: In the mid-1800s, prominent Brooklyn Heights resident Lady Middagh saw the “pretentious” street names in her ’hood—those named after Brooklyn’s wealthy families—and decided to take matters into her own hands by changing the street signs by cover of darkness to Cranberry, Orange and Pineapple. 

Don’t miss: Head to the water and hit the Brooklyn Promenade, a one-third-mile stretch of pavement along the East River overlooking an unforgettable span of NYC’s skyline. 

What is it? Consider yourself a travel-loving foodie? Queens Night Market is your one-stop shop in NYC to discover bites from 80 countries.

Why go? Try a diverse range of grub that runs the gamut from Middle Eastern stews and Barbadian fishballs to Romanian-Hungarian chimney cake and tacos al pastor. The open-air bazaar operates from 5pm to midnight every Saturday, but the market has more to offer aside from fulfilling your late-night food cravings.

Don’t miss: There’s always a great lineup of live music and performances such as Bollywood dancers, Indian electronica tunes, DJs and more. Check out queensnightmarket.com for the lineup. 

What is it? Surrounded by the concrete jungle are 250 acres of verdant oasis—year round. The NYBG is a historic, verdant oasis all year round. Special exhibits include Saving the Plants of the World, gardening’s relationship to the arts and humanities and a how-to course on creating your own green oasis.

Why go? To see how the greatest city in the world sets up a garden (hint: there’s normally whimsical artistic elements).

Don’t miss: “Celebrate the holidays at the Botanical Garden’s train garden—seeing all those miniature NYC buildings is worth the crowds,” says Michael of Brooklyn Heights.  

What is it? A free ferry that transports people between Manhattan and Staten Island. 

Why go? “Take the Staten Island Ferry. It’s free and you can drink!” says Suzannah of Kew Gardens, Queens. You heard the woman: It’s free and you can drink! Need we say more? Okay, fine, how about “amazing views of the Statue of Liberty”? Oh, by the way, the hour-long round-trip ride boasts some of the lowest beer prices in the city—cans of Bud go for $4—so you can live it up booze-cruise-style for less than a five-spot. Classy.

Don’t miss: The sparkling Seaglass Carousel next to the Manhattan terminal is an entertaining diversion.

What is it? Madison Square Park is a green oasis in the Flatiron district—not to be confused with Madison Square Garden.

Why go?