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The best non-touristy things to do in NYC

If you're looking for non-touristy things to do in NYC, check out these alternatives to crowded, popular attractions

Written by
Annalise Mantz
&
Rossilynne Skena Culgan
Contributors
Drew Toal
&
Alex Floyd-Douglass
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While there’s nothing wrong with touristy attractions—some things you just have to see—the experience might be memorable for the wrong reasons: crowds, wait times, lack of time to fully enjoy. If you’re a repeat visitor or a local looking to get off the beaten path, these non-touristy things to do in NYC are for you.

Visitors to New York flock to well-known attractions like the Empire State Building, Central Park, Chelsea, and Times Square. You can find equally impressive views, natural beauty, art galleries, and colorful photo ops at other lesser-known spots. These alternative things to do in New York are just as memorable and far less crowded. After you’ve explored these non-touristy alternatives, go a little deeper and discover the best secret spots in NYC.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best New York attractions 
RECOMMENDED: The best attractions in Manhattan 
RECOMMENDED: The best crime tours in NYC

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Manhattan view

  • Attractions
  • Monuments and memorials
  • Midtown West

It’s as iconic as a landmark gets, but it’s definitely not the only show in town. Nearby Top of the Rock, for example, affords a view of the Empire State Building, which is definitely worth seeing. Still, there’s something to be said for following in the giant footsteps of Kong, plus learning the fascinating history of this landmark.

  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • Sunset Park

The thing about the wondrous Manhattan skyline is that you can’t really appreciate it from Manhattan. For a truly memorable look at the cityscape, travel to the highest point in this South Brooklyn park. The vista is especially striking during the time of day for which the green space is named. Hell, from here, even New Jersey looks good.

Museum

  • Museums
  • Art and design
  • Washington Heights

Tucked away in scenic Fort Tryon Park, the Cloisters—an annex of the Met—showcase art and architecture from medieval Europe. Numerous artifacts, illuminated manuscripts, and ephemera fill the halls. Even the building itself—constructed from European monasteries transferred to the U.S.—looks like something out of Game of Thrones.

Park

  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • Washington Heights

This Washington Heights green space was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., son of one of the men behind Central Park. And in some ways, the little guy’s work outshines his dad’s. Fort Tryon Park provides a much more intimate outdoor experience than does Central Park, Prospect Park or most other designated open-air acres in the city. For some of the most breathtaking views, make your way to Linden Terrace near the Cloisters, or wander through the two main gardens.

Chinatown

Artsy neighborhood

  • Things to do

Between the Gagosian galleries, Andrea Rosen, Anton Kern and dozens of other spaces, this neighborhood remains a destination for huge, museum-sized shows and art openings. But it ain’t the only one.

  • Museums
  • Art and design
  • Long Island City

LIC may lack Chelsea’s number of galleries, but in terms of quality, it more than holds its own. There’s MoMA PS1, which mounts cutting-edge shows. During the summer, the museum also hosts Warm Up, its weekly outdoor music series. And if you’re still jonesing for a culture fix, hit nearby attractions like the Noguchi Museum, the Flux Factory or SculptureCenter.

Photo op

  • Attractions
  • Midtown West

Everybody wants to see the center of the world, we get it. But we also get why New Yorkers tend to scoff at the destination. When you're tired of the hectic sidewalks, honking horns, dizzying billboards and chain restaurants, we've got some other ideas for you. The M&Ms Store doesn't really compare to some other NYC spots when it comes to photo ops anyway.

  • Things to do

Thanks to The Bushwick Collective and other local muralists, this neighborhood's alleys and warehouses have become examples of some of the best local street art. Wander through the outdoor galleries of Morgan Avenue, Siegel Street, East Moore Street and other local thoroughfares to snap some truly Instagram-worthy photos.

Historic architecture

  • Attractions
  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Midtown East

With its grand Beaux Arts architecture, beloved brass clock and cerulean blue ceiling dotted with constellations, Grand Central Terminal is certainly an architectural wonder. You can take it all in with a brisk walk through the subway station (but history nerds ought to to take a behind-the-scenes tour). 

  • Attractions
  • Libraries, archives and foundations
  • Midtown West

This iconic location, proudly guarded by regal-looking marble lions, is among the city's most ornate public spaces. The pièce de résistance is of course the Rose Reading Room—who wouldn’t be inspired by all those crystal chandeliers? But if you’re here for the books, you won’t be disappointed either: There are some 50 million items spread out across these stacks.

There are free guided tours daily, but they fill up quickly so get there early.

Brooklyn Bridge view

  • Attractions
  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Manhattan

Close to 100,000 cars cross the toll-free Brooklyn Bridge every day, and we’d be willing to bet that the daily foot traffic also numbers in the thousands. In fact, on a clear, sunny day, you can barely find space to walk, let alone bike, on the upper pedestrian deck. Yes, the granite and limestone Gothic towers and views of lower Manhattan are pretty spectacular, but is braving a sea of selfies worth it?

  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • Brooklyn Heights

For the exact same views of Manhattan and an even better look at the Brooklyn Bridge, stroll the footpaths in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It never feels as crowded as the bridge itself, thanks to the 85 acres of waterfront. After you snap the obligatory photos, take a spin on Jane’s Carousel or go for ice cream at Ample Hills Creamery.

Food market

  • Shopping
  • Shopping centers
  • Chelsea

Thanks to its picturesque location in a former National Biscuit Company factory and collection of cult-favorite eateries, Chelsea Market has become the city’s most popular food hall. This fact is especially obvious to anyone who visits on a weekend: The hordes of tourists wandering through the building makes it nearly impossible to enjoy your street tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 or halva ice cream from Seed+Mill.

  • Restaurants

Though just as many hungry patrons flock to Smorgasburg, the outdoor setting at least makes the crowds a little more manageable. The beloved food festival also draws just as many locals as tourists—a distinction that’s especially apparent at its Prospect Park location. A wider selection of vendors also cuts down on long lines, although the year’s hottest trends—think 2013’s ramen burger or 2016’s raindrop cake—will likely create a healthy queue.

Garden

  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • The Bronx

We love the Orchid Show as much as the next guy, but it can be tough to appreciate the flora and fauna when you’re pushing your way through a throng of visitors. If you must get your flower fix, head up to the Bronx on a weekday or stick to the outer edges of the 50-acre forest to evade the crowds.

  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • Staten Island

Once a retirement home for aging sailors, Snug Harbor reinvented itself as an arts center and botanical garden in the 1970s. Explore the property's nine distinctive gardens, including the bamboo forest and koi ponds of the Chinese Scholar’s Garden and the intricate maze of boxwoods at the Connie Gretz Secret Garden. Since it’s on the north shore of Staten Island, you’ll encounter far fewer tourists than you would in any of the other boroughs.

Classic venue

  • Theater
  • Midtown West

Known as the “showplace of the nation,” Radio City Music Hall has hosted everything from Lady Gaga concerts to the Rockettes’ high-kicking Christmas Spectacular. The Art Deco decor is lovely and you can even go behind the scenes on a tour. The massive marquee is what most tourists come to see. Snap a picture or two from the sidewalk if you must, but know that it's not the only game in town for spectacular shows.

  • Theater
  • Performing arts space
  • Upper West Side

You’ll be blown away by the architecture of Lincoln Center’s main plaza: The gurgling fountain is framed on three sides by the gorgeous glass facades of the Metropolitan Opera House, David Geffen Hall and the David H. Koch Theater. It’s certainly a more elegant environment. And, since it’s the home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, the New York Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Center and a bevy of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, you also have a much wider array of performances to choose from.

Filming location

Touristy: The Friends apartment
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Benjamin Kraft

Touristy: The Friends apartment

On any given day, you’ll find several Friends fans jostling position on the corner of Bedford Street and Grove Street. Why? They’re trying to get just the right angle for their photo in front of the apartment at 90 Bedford Street, which you might recognize as the exterior of Monica and Rachel’s place. Not only can the crowds be annoying, but the visit isn’t even worth it: You can’t enter the apartment, there’s no Central Perk on the ground floor and the show wasn’t even filmed in NYC.

Alternative: The Royal Tenenbaums house
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Garrett Ziegler

Alternative: The Royal Tenenbaums house

Hamilton Heights is known for its stunning architecture and the home at the corner of 144th Street and Convent Avenue is no exception. In fact, Wes Anderson was so taken with its red brick facade and intricate tile work that he used it as the family home in The Royal Tenenbaums. The home is a private residence today, but visitors can peep its gorgeous exterior from the sidewalk. The best part? It's on Airbnb. Time to book your stay!

Sweet treat

  • Restaurants
  • Eating

Ok, fair warning, there's likely to be a line—a long line—if you go here on the weekends, but it's worth for these buttery croissants that will basically transport you to Paris. In addition to Parisian pastries, L'Appartement 4F is also known for its best-selling tahini chocolate chip cookie au sel de mer.

Kid-friendly attraction

  • Museums
  • Science and technology
  • Flatiron

Long division, algebra, geometry—they’re all pretty much the worst. Or are they? MoMath pushes the reset button on deep-seated calculus hate and seeks to make the art of numbers more accessible. Now that the pressures of homework and the SATs are long past, maybe it’s time to re-engage with the Euclidean party, people.

Ready to explore more of New York City?

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