When you’ve been to New York before or if you’ve got some more time to spend there, you want to see more than just the top sights of New York. You want some real New York experiences. You want to do things that make you feel like you’ve really been there, that you did all there is to do and even experienced the city like the locals do. On this page you’ll find 25 real New York experiences. Your bucket list for your next trip to the big apple.
See a Broadway Show
Before I saw my first Brodadway show, I didn’t really like musicals. I loved the more serious theater and thought that musicals weren’t artistic enough. But when I lived in New York I thought I oughta see a Broadway show. After all, it’s a real New York experience. And, as a theater lover especially, you can’t really leave New York without seeing one. The first musical I saw was Mary Poppins, and it was absolutely magical. I loved the atmoshpere in the grand old theater, and the show itself was just pure entertainment. And untill today, I still don’t get how Mary flew over the audience. But I guess that’s the magic of Broadway.
Broadway tickets aren’t cheap, but on this page you can see where you can get discount tickets or join lotteries to win cheap tickets.
Take a Yellow Cab
Their iconic for New York and you hardly ever see a street without one: the Yellow Cabs. Once made yellow as the owner of the company knew that yellow stands out and draws attention. The yellow cabs are a lot more affordable than taxis in the Netherlands, so if you’re used to European taxi prices it’s windfall. Just flag down a cab when you need one. If the light on top of the taxi is on, the yellow cab is available. If the light is off, it’s not picking up passengers.
Flirt with a squirrel
You’ll definitely find them in Central Park, but also in the many other parks or green patches in New York City you’ll find squirrels. They’re so used to people that they aren’t easily scared of you. They might even pose for you, so you can take a picture of them.
Eat from a street vendor
Pretzels and hotdogs are probably the most famous street foods in New York city. But there are many other foods that you can get from a street vendor. From bagels to falafel wraps. There are more than 20,000 street vendors in New York! Although that number isn’t only for food trucks but also for flower shops and t-shirt stands for example.
Click here for my favorite food spots in New York City.
See a comedy show
There are basically two kinds of comedy shows in New York: stand-up comedy and improv comedy. For stand-up comedy the East Village is the most popular neighborhood, whilst improv can be found more in mid-town.
Discover Brooklyn
Most tourists who visit New York for the first time never leave Manhattan. But if you’re looking for more unique experiences it’s a shame to skip Brooklyn. This creative borough has great restaurants and very Instagrammable spots.
Visit Liberty Island & Ellis Island
When you visit New York for the first time, you probably only have time for the top sights. So you’ll probably take the free Staten Island ferry and just pass by the Statue of Liberty. But if you have some more time to spend, it’s really worth booking a tour to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Especially the audio tour at Ellis Island is pretty impressive.
Make sure to book your tickets in advance so you can skip the long line.
Watch live music
There are some pretty good musicians and singers that you can just watch at the back of a bar in New York City. My all-time favorite spot for live music in NYC is Cafe Wha?. I’ve been there so many times and I’m still impressed by the high quality of the musicians and singers of the Cafe Wha? Houseband. They perform Wednesday through Sunday. On Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday the cover charge is only $10. Reserve your tickets for Cafe Wha? online to be sure of a seat.
Visit Coney Island
Coney Island will make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time. This patch of land in Brooklyn has a beach, a boardwalk and a nostalgic theme park. You can also find the first ever Nathans hotdog restaurant here.
Fun fact; did you know that Coney Island got its name from the Dutch word for rabbit ‘konijn’?
Watch a game
If you want to feel like a local in New York, it’s a great idea to watch a sports game. The most popular sports are basketball, baseball and ice hockey. In Madison Square Garden you can see the NY Knicks play basketball and the NY Rangers play ice hockey. For a baseball game of the New York Yankees you can go to their stadium in the Bronx.
Play the piano in a bar
New York is full of creative people. With so many theaters and art galleries, that’s not surprising. To cater those who love to sing or play the piano, there’s Marie’s Crisis piano bar. This intimate piano bar in the West Village is a great spot for everyone that wants to play or sing some Broadway tunes. You can find Marie’s Crisis on 59 Grove st.
Release your inner punk
Saint Marcs Place is a street in the East Village of New York and is the perfect spot to get your inner punk out. Here no one will look at your weird if you’ve got pink hair or a nose ring. It’s often been claimed to be the coolest street of New York.
Go (window) shopping on 5th Avenue
If there’s one spot you need to go if you like high-end shopping, it’s 5th Avenue. The part from is considered one of the most expensive streets in the world. The most expensive shops are located in between mid-town and Central Park. If you’re visiting New York on a budget, it’s still great to visit 5th Avenue to go window shopping. Especially around Christmas time the windows of the shops are beautifully decorated.
Visit a museum
There are many museums in New York that are worth a visit. The most famous museums in New York are the Gugenheim Museum (with the spiral staircase), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET), the Museum of Modern Art (the MOMA) and the American Museum of Natural History.
The MOMA is free on Fridays from 5:30 to 9pm and the Guggenheim is free on Saturdays from 5 to 8pm.
The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the world. It houses over 6,000 animals. The Bronx Zoo is free to visit on Wednesdays. You can reach it by the 2 or 5 subway line to East 180th street.
Eat the world
New York is a city of immigrants, and you can see that by the large variety of cuisines found in the city. From real good Indian curry to Irish stew; you can all find it in New York. Some etnicities are clustered in streets or neighborhoods; like Korea Street, Chinatown and Little Italy. Some restaurants are more spread out. I once travelled all the way to Queens just to have a great Thai dinner.
Click here for the most Instagrammable food spots in New York.
Discover a secret
Do you think you already know New York like the back of your hand? I think there are still some secrets for you! Did you know about secret bars and restaurants? Or a secret park in the middle of the Financial District?
If you’ve been to New York more often, you might want to go hunting for these secret spots in New York.
Visit an observation deck
It’s kind of a must; even if you’re in New York for only 24 hours: visit an observation deck. There are 4 great spots for this; the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, The Freedom Tower and The Edge.
In all cases it’s smart to get your tickets online beforehand.
Dance to street musicians
You’ll find them on the street and at subway stations; musicians. Most of them are quite talented. So why don’t you make their day? Dance to their songs and give them a few bucks.
Go Ice Skating
A real New York Experience in the winter is to go ice skating on one of the ice skating rinks. The ones in Central Park and Rockafeller Center are the most famous from movies and tv sets. But you can also go to the one in Bryant Park, it’s more affordable too!
Spot Street-Art
It’s been said that street-art originated in New York, and you can still find many great graffiti pieces in New York. You can also find other great works of street-art like sticker-art. Once you’re looking for it, you’ll see it everywhere!
Book a Helicopter Ride
This is the most expensive option on this list, but if you’ve got some money to spare it’s a wonderful and unique experience to book a helicopter ride over Manhattan! There are several companies offering helicopter rides in New York. The prices are pretty similar. If you find one that’s cheaper, it’s probably because it departs from New Jersey instead of from Manhattan. We booked our tour at New York Helicopter and were very satisfied with it.
Watch a Parade
Several times a year there’s a parade in New York. I tried to see as many as I could when I lived there and if you’re visiting New York when there’s a parade I recommend that you go see it! The Easter Parade on 5th Avenue is quite small, the Halloween Parade in the Village is a great experience and my favorite is the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade where giant balloons float through the streets of Manhattan.
Walk the High Line
The High Line is a walking path build on elevated former subway tracks. You can find it on the west side of Manhattan. There are several spots where you can get on and off. It’s a very pleasent walk to walk from start to end and you’ll have some nice views along the way.
Gospel Brunch
The best place for Gospel in New York is in Harlem. You can find some churches here that have very musical services. And the best part: you can have a Gosepl Brunch in Harlem! On Sundays there are several cafes offering a Gospel Brunch like Sylvia’s and Ginny’s Supper Club. You’ll enjoy your brunch dishes with a Gospel choir singing wonderful songs.
Click here for all my favorite vegetarian and vegan friendly food spots in New York.
