Hearing the word New York opens a new world of imagination. You dive into your fantasy and imagine yourself walking on the city streets and living and experiencing the life you saw in movies.
New York is definitely on everyone’s bucket list. Don’t worry, you’ll not miss anything cause this article is here for your rescue. I’ll provide you with the perfect list to plan your trip to New York. Moreover, to make your NYC trip hassle-free, check out Bookmundi, a platform that organizes several NYC trips all year with the best price guaranteed. From transport to accommodations, they will take care of everything. Isn’t this amazing?
Below is the list of 10 fun things to do in NYC. Discover the best places to make a beautiful memory that will stay with you forever. Isn’t this what we travel for, experiences and memories?
1. New York from the Eyes of Locals!
Who would know New York City better than the New Yorkers who have been living there ever since they were kids? They know everything about the place, what restaurants give the best food, which places are worth visiting, and even about the places you wouldn’t even have heard about or found on the internet. Everything they tell or suggest you are tried and tested.
The best of New York City is what you’ll find in the most unexpected place. Talk to people; every person that you’ll find on the street has some story to share with you or some suggestion for what you must see.
Here’s what some New Yorkers would suggest you if you ever visit-
1.1 Explore the City by a Rented Ride
It’s fun and easier to explore something when you have your own ride. So, rent a bike or car and go wherever you want, the narrow streets, the small shops at the nook and corner of the city. What if you find something amazing?
1.2 Get out of Manhattan
People generally spend all their time in Manhattan; New York is very big and has many more beautiful places around than just in Manhattan.
1.3 A Walk in the Times Square
Time Square is an all-in-one destination. There’s everything: restaurants, bars, museums, shopping, and malls. It is one of the most buoyant places in New York City and is even beautiful at night, lighting up the whole city with its charm.
1.4 Do not Forget the Central Park
Central Park in midtown West is a place between nature and your must to visit. Having a picnic and a walking tour of the central park with your friends and family is a wonderful idea. Central Park is not just a park with trees and lawns, it gives you more than that, like- a Central Park zoo, ice skating, carriage and bike rides, a belvedere castle, a conservatory garden, and many more.
1.5 Take Subway
Local subway rides are always fun, cheaper, and faster. If you’re lucky enough, then maybe you can even spot famous New York actors and stars using public transport.
1.6 Amazing Street Art
NYC residents are quite talented and artistic. New York’s street walls are all painted with graffiti and amazing creations by artists. You can see these paintings in many places, and one of them is The Museum of Street Art (MoSA).
2. Low Budget? There are Still Plenty of Things for You
If you look closely, New York is not that expensive, and there are still a lot of fun things to do in NYC for free or at a much cheaper price while still having fun.
2.1 Cruise on Staten Island Ferry
Who would say no to a free cruise ride with a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty and watching the New York City skyline and city lights from the peaceful ocean and, of course, food and snacks 24/7?
2.2 Movies in Bryant Park
Watching a movie under the stars with your partner or gang in a blanket sounds fun and romantic. isn’t it? If yes, then you should definitely take your ride to Bryant Park all the way through midtown Manhattan.
2.3 Stroll through Parks and Streets
The walk around the neighborhood doesn’t cost anything but gives a beautiful experience.
2.4 Free Museums
There are plenty of world-class museums in New York that are on certain days of the week free or at certain hours, giving the facility of “pay what you wish.” All are riding you through the history of New York City.
2.5 Free Fests and Events
Every day, there are a lot of events happening in New York City, and most of them are free. So, just look for them or ask a local New Yorker; they’ll know if there is anything around.
3. Concerts, Live Shows, Events, and Fests
New York is a quiet city; why wouldn’t it be? It is the place where dreams are made and fulfilled. Events and fests are very common in New York City; somewhere or the other, there would definitely be some performance or play.
Below are some that you shouldn’t miss if you are in New York City at that time-
3.1 St. Patrick’s Day (March)
Dress up in green and celebrate this Irish holiday by participating in the parade and then party all day long at various clubs and party houses.
3.2 Easter Parade (April)
New Yorkers march along 5th Avenue showcasing their bonnets to win the Easter Best Bonnet Festival
3.3 Shakespeare in the Park (May)
People can enjoy free outdoor plays performed by Famous Actors in Central Park.
3.4 Summer Stage (May)
Live music concerts with 100 performances set in the open air of Central Park and now other parks of all the 5 boroughs of New York City.
3.5 Celebrate Brooklyn (June)
Providing dance, music, theatre, film, and famous acts all through summer, presenting world-renowned icons, artists, and bands.
3.6 Pride Month (June)
Celebrating the progress made for the world’s most vibrant, thriving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities along with a march down 5th Avenue.
3.7 New York Philharmonic Orchestra (June)
A weeklong tour of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra to the city parks through all 5 boroughs brings a classical vibe to the whole of New York City.
3.8 4th of July (July)
United States Independence is celebrated in New York City with glimmering fireworks illuminating the whole New York skyline and a hot dog eating contest
3.9 Thanksgiving Parade (November)
New York’s Thanksgiving Parade is a must-watch. It is amazingly beautiful, with celebrity guests, bands, performers, and helium-filled characters floating in the blue sky.
4. New York’s Amazing Art, Culture, and History
New York City is amazing, and so is its culture, art, and history. If you are really interested in knowing the York history of this amazing place, then you must visit the revolutionary history, music and art museums, and galleries, and you can even buy some of your historical artifacts from the museum store.
Add one more thing to your list of fun things to do in NYC and take an NYC architectural tour of its most famous and spectacular buildings.
4.1 American Natural History Museum and Rose Space Center
American Natural History Museum is really beautiful and has everything you need to know about America’s natural history, animals, precious fossils, and a variety of tours.
4.2 National Jazz Museum
One of the important music museums in New York, preserving the Jazz history of the place.
4.3 Museum of Modern Art (Free Friday nights)
MoMA is worth visiting if you are interested in watching and learning art.
4.4 Whitney Museum of American Art
- Fridays: 7:00 pm-9:30 pm “pay what you wish”
It is a collection of contemporary American modern art. It is one of the important buildings in the preservation of American art. It also gives the facility to pay what you wish for specific timings.
4.5 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This is a classic art museum and is hard to miss for any newcomer to New York.
4.6 Museum of Moving Image
It is a media museum located in Astoria, Queens. It has all the artifacts related to media, history, art, technology, and television.
4.7 Arcadia Earth
Take a virtual reality journey through Arcadia Earth; this virtual reality activity gives visitors details about our planet and the impact human activities have had on its future.
4.8 Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
It is an American military and maritime history museum.
5. Things you Should Definitely Do While in New York
There are a lot of fun things to do in NYC, and there are some that you should not miss at all.
5.1 Location Tours/Bus Tour
Are you a big movie fan? Then, you would like to visit and take a bus tour to the famous filming locations and bring back all your favorite movie memories while you are on your bus tour to the streets where prominent movie scenes were shot.
5.2 Broadway Show
You should definitely catch a Broadway show when you are in New York and watch some famous shows right in the heart of New York.
5.3 Game at a Madison Square Garden
Catch a New York Knicks basketball game, if you can, at the Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan.
5.4 Blue Note Jazz Club
One of the most famous jazz venues in NYC is The Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village. The Blue Note is an iconic band that plays their famous albums every night in the club.
5.5 Madame Tussauds
Watch and praise the skill and art of famous stars’ wax statue, which seems quite real. Take pictures of George Washington, Joe Biden, Stan Lee, and many more.
5.6 Comedy Cellar
The best comedy club in New York is the iconic Comedy Cellar. It has the top New York comedy performers who come and perform a stand-up show every night here.
6. Shopping Place
When you are visiting a place like New York, you would like to take some beautiful souvenirs from NYC so that you can cherish them lifelong. Shopping is one of the top preferences for people looking for fun things in NYC. So these are some nice shopping places in New York.
6.1 Union Square
Union Square is a mega shopping district now. It has a number of shops having all kinds of things.
6.2 Upper West Side
In honor of Earth Day, the NYC Earth Day Bazaar at the indoor and open-air Grand Bazaar market on the Upper West Side features local artists and vintage/antique dealers with goods made from eco-conscious and recycled products.
6.3 Fifth Avenue
5th Avenue is also called the fashion avenue of New York. So, swing here to find some super chic fashion pieces for your wardrobe.
7. New York’s Seasonal Stuff
As the Seasons change, New York changes too and opens new opportunities for fun things in NYC.
7.1 Summer
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Beaches
Spending summer in New York gives a great advantage. You can go to beaches and sunbathe with great ocean views.
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Night Trip
In summer, the temperature is pleasant in the evening, and you can explore New York at night, which is even more beautiful with all the lights.
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Concert
You will find plenty of concerts around the city during summer and enjoy live music under the stars.
7.2 Fall
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Watch Beautiful Leaf Drop
Head to some parks like Central Park or Prospect Park and watch the leaves fall; it is beautiful. You might even get some lovely pictures
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Join the Burlesque Festival
Tag along with the festival and enjoy live performances, get makeovers, costumes, and goodies.
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Take Part in Halloween Events
With the arrival of Halloween, there are so many events happening around the Big Apple, like visiting haunted mansions, pumpkin picking, and carving.
7.3 Winter
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Christmas and New Year’s Eve
With the arrival of winter, the city starts decking itself up for the festival. With the illuminating Christmas trees, especially at the Rockefeller Centre, and lights everywhere, and the exhilarating New Year’s Eve celebration at Times Square.
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Chinese New Year
During the Lunar New Year, the city is flooded with colors, cultural performances, dances, and food.
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Fashion Week
Take part in New York’s fashion week and get dressed like your favorite celebrities and stars.
7.4 Spring
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Cherry Blossom Festival or Japanese Sakura Matsuri Festival (April)
The Blossoming of the cherry trees in Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is celebrated by a weekend-long festival of Japanese events, J-pop concerts, music, dance, and workshops.
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Pillow Fight
Bond with strangers at the Washington Square Park sleepover while having a pillow fight, and no doubt it is one of the most exciting things to do in NYC.
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Attend a Baseball Game
The baseball season in New York begins in April, and if you are passionate about sports and are a big fan of The Yankees or The Mets, then you might like to catch a game.
8. Get the Best Food in NYC
There are many iconic New York food and restaurants that you should try before you leave New York so you have the best taste in your mouth along with the best taste in your heart.
8.1 Mulberry Street
Mulberry Street borders some of the biggest NYC food places like Little Italy and Chinatown, offers a great mix of food dishes, and works as a central street between two big food streets.
8.2 Ninth Avenue International Food Festival (May)
Want all of New York’s best food in one place, then take part in the international food festival, which has all types of cuisine, food, and the most popular ones.
8.3 Miss Lily’s
The Jamaican restaurant, Miss Lily, offers appetizing Caribbean food and DJ sets in East Village at every tourist stop.
9. Worth Visiting Famous Landmarks
New York has a whole lot of attractions that will account for your fun things to do in NYC, but you can’t visit every one of them, so here are some that are worth your time.
9.1 Statue of Liberty
The World’s One of the Seven Wonders is situated at Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The Statue of Liberty is undoubtedly worth a visit for any newcomer to New York.
9.2 Empire State Building
If you are up for an NYC architecture tour, then do not miss NYC’s most famous architectural example, the Empire State Building, and don’t forget to view the spectacular Manhattan skyline from its observation deck.
9.3 Grand Central Station
Take a train at the Grand Central Station, admire New York’s famous clock, and learn some historical lessons there.
9.4 Brooklyn Bridge
Looking for fun things to do in NYC, then a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River and eat at a most famous pizzeria, Grimaldi.
10. Who’s Up for Some Twist, Turn, and Adventure
These are some places where you can have an adventurous day in NYC.
10.1 Luna Park
Luna Park is an amusement park in Coney Island, which has some great attractions, thundering coasters, and heart-pumping adventuring rides.
10.2 The Rink- Rockefeller Centre
Visiting The Rockefeller Center is one of the fun things to do in NYC, and don’t forget to go to The Rink and try Roller skating. Trust me, it is as much as romantic as it is exciting.
10.3 Longest Slide in New York
How would it feel to ride the longest slide in NYC at the slide hill on Governors Island? There are so many other things to do at Governor’s Island, like the open orchard, bike rentals, may room, and so much more.
10.4 White Water Raft
Exciting 17-mile River Rafting in the Hudson River between the peaceful water and calming nature is worth a try.
10.5 Helicopter Flight over New York City
New York looks more beautiful from the sky. Test your fear of heights with a helicopter ride over the city.
In the End
New York is very enchanting, and there’s a lot more to it other than this list. This is not even 5% of New York, but it would be enough for your 1st trip to the city, and when you come back, you will find more.
The more you visit, the more you fall in love with it.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
