In addition to checking out the landmarks listed here, architecture buffs may also want to seek out these notable buildings: The Lever House, built in 1952 at 390 Park Ave., between 53rd and 54th streets, and the neighboring Seagram Building (1958), at 375 Park Ave., are the city’s…
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New York City Attractions
Ask New Yorkers about their feelings for their city, and they will often respond, “There’s just one New York.” By that they mean: one city so full of museums (more than 40 major ones); historical sites; world-famous institutions; parks; zoos; universities; lectures; concerts and recitals; theaters for opera, mu ...
Ask New Yorkers about their feelings for their city, and they will often respond, “There’s just one New York.” By that they mean: one city so full of museums (more than 40 major ones); historical sites; world-famous institutions; parks; zoos; universities; lectures; concerts and recitals; theaters for opera, musicals, drama, and dance; architectural highlights; presidents’ homes; and kooky galleries. Its diversions are limitless, and you will never be bored. If you had the speed and stamina of a Usain Bolt, you would still be hard pressed to cover all of the attractions in several months of touring.
Because your own time is more limited than that, I’m confining my coverage to two categories of sights in this chapter: First, the city’s “iconic” attractions, by which I mean the places universally associated with Gotham—the headliners that make the city so massively popular. These include the major museums (the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, just to name two); the great historical and architectural sites (including Grand Central Station and the Brooklyn Bridge); and, in a category all its own, New York’s most sobering site: the 9/11 Memorial.
Second are the less famous attractions that, if they were magically transported to almost any other city in America, would instantly become that city’s top cultural draw and bring it acclaim, prestige, and millions of dollars in tourist revenue (no, I do not exaggerate). These attractions—such as the Tenement Museum, the Museum of the Moving Image, The Frick Collection—while lesser known, can add immensely to a New York City visit. And therefore it’s important occasionally to step off the tourist treadmill (Empire State, Times Square, Statue of Liberty) and try one of the so-called secondary sights. If you have the time, visit at least one of the places you might never have heard of before consulting this website.
A Worthwhile Sightseeing Pass
With this pass system, you pay one price ($129, or $109 for kids 6–17) for admission to five major attractions:
* The American Museum of Natural History (including the Space Show or an IMAX film)
* The Guggenheim Museum or Top of the Rock
* The Empire State Building Experience
* The 9/11 Memorial & Museum or the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
* The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, or a 2-hour Circle Line harbor cruise.
Individual tickets to all these sites combined would cost 40% more.
Citypass also offers a pass that covers covers only three attractions (Citypass 3), and offers slightly less of a savings, but you have a wider choice, as all of the sites above are possibilities, plus the Museum of Modern Art, The Edge, or a city cruise. Cost for this one is $87/adult and $67/child. With this one you could save about 25% over individual tickets for all of the attractions covered by the pass.
Significantly, CityPass is not a coupon book: It contains actual tickets, so you can bypass lengthy lines (though advance reservations will also do that). CityPass is good for 9 days from the first time you use it. It’s sold at all participating attractions and online at www.citypass.com/city/ny. You can download and self-print the pass or you may buy the pass at your first attraction (start at an attraction that’s likely to have a shorter admission line, such as the Guggenheim). If you begin your sightseeing on a weekend or during holidays, when lines are longest, online purchase is the smarter way to go. Online timed reservations, as we said before, are the smarter way to go.
When You Can Get In Free to NYC Museums
Many of the major museums in New York City offer "pay what you will" entry to residents of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Some also throw open their doors for free to all comers, at certain times of the week. Here's a look at where and when you can get in without paying:
Mondays:
National September 11 Museum (between 5:30 and 7pm)
Museum at Eldridge Street (all day)
Thursdays:
Frick Madison (4-6pm)
Museum of the Moving Image (7-9pm)
New Museum of Contemporary Art (7–9pm)
Fridays:
Morgan Library & Museum (7-9pm, advance reservations required)
Museum at Eldridge Street (all day)
New York Historical Society (6-8pm)
Rubin Museum (6-10pm)
Whitney Museum (7-9:30pm)
Saturdays:
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (6-8pm)
Daily
Cooper-Hewitt Museum National Design Museum (5-6pm)
Subway stops for New York’s Top Attractions
American Museum of Natural History -- B, C to 81st Street
The Cloisters -- A to 190th Street
Ellis Island -- 4, 5 to Bowling Green or N, R to Whitehall Street 1 to South Ferry
Guggenheim Museum -- 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum -- A, C, E to 42nd Street–Port Authority
Metropolitan Museum of Art -- 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street
Museum of Modern Art -- E to Fifth Avenue or B, D, F to 47th–50th streets–Rockefeller Center
Brooklyn Bridge -- 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall
Chrysler Building -- 4, 5, 6, 7, S to Grand Central–42nd Street
Empire State Building -- B, D, F, N, R, Q to 34th Street–Herald Square
Grand Central Terminal -- 4, 5, 6, 7, S to Grand Central–42nd Street
Rockefeller Center -- B, D, F to 47th–50th streets–Rockefeller Center
Staten Island Ferry -- 1 to South Ferry (first five cars)
United Nations -- 4, 5, 6, 7, S to Grand Central–42nd Street
Yankee Stadium -- 4, B, D to 161st River Avenue–Yankee Stadium
Chinatown -- 6, J, M, Z, N, R, Q to Canal Street
Greenwich Village -- A, C, E, B, D, F to West 4th Street
Times Square -- 1, 2, 3, 7, N, R, S to 42nd Street–Times Square
Wall Street -- 4, 5 to Wall Street or N, R to Rector Street
Cathedral of St. John the Divine -- 1 to Cathedral Parkway (110th St.)
St. Patrick’s Cathedral -- B, D, F to 47th–50th streets–Rockefeller Center or E to Fifth Avenue–53rd Street
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Attraction
9/11 Memorial and Museum
For well over two millennia, humans have been telling one another stories of the dangers of looking back at evil or death. Lot’s wife turned to a pillar of salt because she dared glance over her shoulder into the maw of destruction. Orpheus lost his beloved forever for the same…Financial District
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Tour
A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours
Brooklyn has no dearth of good pizza and you'll get to try the finest, guided by affable and knowledgeable Brooklyn native and pizza aficionado Tony Muia. The bus tour begins in Manhattan and heads over the Manhattan Bridge for a look at DUMBO, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Fulton Ferry…Brooklyn
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Religious Site
Abyssinian Baptist Church
The most famous of Harlem’s more than 400 houses of worship is this Baptist church, founded downtown in 1808 by African-American and Ethiopian merchants. It was moved uptown to Harlem back in the 1920s by Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., who built it into the largest Protestant… -
Landmark
African Burial Ground
Some 15,000 African slaves were buried in a Manhattan graveyard in the 17th and 18th centuries, but their final resting places were lost to memory until 1991 when construction workers stumbled upon human remains during renovations of a federal building. The site is now considered one…Financial District
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Museum
American Folk Art Museum
Updated January 5, 2025 -- Self-taught artists are the focus of this small museum, and their stories (told in wonderful detail by the wall text) illuminate the art in invigorating ways. You’ll see works from the 18th century to the present; and the breadth and variety of the art can… -
Museum
American Museum of Natural History
Updated January 5, 2025 -- Since 1869, this institution has served as both the country’s preeminent private scientific research facility and its top museum for paleontology, zoology, anthropology, and, in recent years, astronomy. It’s this constant flow of energy and insight between…Upper West Side
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Landmark
Astor Row Houses
In the heart of Harlem, this fabulous series of 28 red brick town houses stretches from Fifth to Lenox avenues on 130th Street. Built on land originally purchased by John Jacob Astor for his country estate, this early 1880s collection was put up by grandson William Blackhouse Astor,…Harlem
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Barbara Gladstone Gallery
Barbara Gladstone’s hangar-like 24th St. exhibition space, designed by Selldorf Architects, has helped to make grand spectacles of films by Matthew Barney and Shirin Neshat; sculptures by Anish Kapoor, best known for his reflective Cloud Gate in Chicago; and arrestingly explicit…Chelsea
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Tour
Bateaux New York
The most elegant and romantic of New York’s evening dinner cruises, aboard a boat designed for 300 guests with two suites, one dance floor, two outdoor strolling decks, and windows galore. Dinner is a formal, three-course sit-down affair (though the food is just so-so). A live… -
Park
Battery Park
At the southernmost tip of Manhattan, Battery Park has been growing kudzu-like for the past several decades and is now really a string of eclectic park spaces that hug the waterfront from just above the original Battery Park (where the ferry terminal for the Statue of Liberty is…Lower Manhattan
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Performing Arts
Belvedere Castle and the Delacorte Theater
Olmsted and Vaux’s “folly” (or fantasy building), this turreted castle sits atop the second-highest elevation in the park. Inside is a nature observatory with good rainy-day activities for children. In front of the castle is the Delacorte Theater, where the famed Shakespeare in the…Central Park
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Tour
Big Apple Jazz Tours
These tours, hosted by New York jazz expert Gordon Polatnick, are the real deal for jazz buffs. Polatnick’s private tours are tailor-made to the jazz interests of his clients. If you’re into bebop, they’ll show you Minton’s Playhouse, the jazz club that was the supposed birthplace of…Manhattan
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Tour
Big Onion Tours
These popular tours are led by local graduate students, most of them studying history, with a few sociologists and literature majors thrown in to the mix. The emphasis therefore is on the history of the area you may be visiting—Greenwich Village, Times Square, Central Park—and the… -
Landmark
Bow Bridge
An elegant span of cast iron, the Bow Bridge stretches over Central Park’s Lake, leading to the bucolic Ramble. Just west of the Bethesda Fountain near 74th Street, the little 60-foot pedestrian bridge was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould and was built in 1862. It’s a…Central Park
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Zoo
Bronx Zoo
Updated January 5, 2025 -- If you count number of animals as well as acreage, the Bronx Zoo is still the largest zoo in the United States, an innovative, unbeatably entertaining place to spend the day. But with over 4,000 animals and 24 exhibits, you need to strategize your time… -
Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Right down the street from the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is not only one of those necessary green safety valves, it’s also quite an innovative garden in many ways. It was the first in the world to have a "children’s garden," allowing local kids to develop green…Park Slope, Brooklyn
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Landmark
Brooklyn Bridge
New York has a grand Gothic cathedral in St. Patrick’s, but for many New Yorkers, the city's true cathedral, the point at which earth and water join and thrust upwards toward the heavens, is the Brooklyn Bridge. To fully appreciate its dazzle, you must walk the bridge. Start on the…Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan
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Park/Garden
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Many visitors who take the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan find they have the urge to linger in this handsome, 85-acre, waterfront park. This once-industrial area officially opened as a park in 2008. It’s home to a spectacular 1922 carousel (surrounded by a pavilion by…Brooklyn
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Museum
Brooklyn Children's Museum
Updated January 6, 2025 -- The very first museum of its type in the nation, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum isn’t easy to get to from Manhattan, but it rewards those who make the trek (there's a shuttle from the nearest subway stop many days of the week; check the museum's website).… -
Neighborhood
Brooklyn Heights Historic District
Just across the Brooklyn Bridge is Brooklyn Heights, a peaceful neighborhood of tree-lined streets, more than 600 historic houses built before 1860, landmark churches, and restaurants. Even with its magnificent promenade providing sweeping views of lower Manhattan’s ragged skyline,…Brooklyn
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Museum
Brooklyn Museum
Updated January 5, 2025 -- Though not as big as the Metropolitan Museum (what is?), this "mini Met"—it covers almost all eras of history in its holdings—is a superb museum on its own terms. Its Egyptian Collection, while not as extensive as the Met’s, arguably has more masterpieces.…Park Slope, Brooklyn
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Historic Site
Brooklyn Navy Yard
At its peak usage during World War II, when it employed some 70,000 men and women, the Brooklyn Navy Yard was the biggest industrial complex in U.S. history—no other site has yet to top that employment figure. But its importance to America began far before then, during the American… -
Religious Site
Brooklyn Tabernacle
Under the direction of passionate orator Pastor Jim Cymbala and his choral-director wife, Carol, this nondenominational Christian revival church has grown into one of the largest—with a congregation of nearly 10,000 from all walks of city life—and most renowned inner-city churches in…Brooklyn
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Park
Bryant Park
Just behind the New York Public Library, this park is a welcome respite from the endless high-rises and crushing crowds of Midtown, a 4-acre lawn surrounded by London plane tree–shaded promenades (like the Tuileries Gardens in Paris), benches, and statuary. It’s notable for its…Midtown West
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Historic Site
Castle Clinton National Monument
At the southern tip of Battery Park stands an old fort called Castle Clinton National Monument. Built between 1808 and 1811 to defend New York Harbor, the circular fort eventually became the city’s first immigration center. Today Castle Clinton is the place to purchase tickets for…The Financial District
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Cathedral
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Updated January 5, 2025 -- Little-known fact: The largest cathedral in the world is not St. Peter’s in Rome (which is actually not officially a cathedral), it’s St. John the Divine in upper Manhattan. Odder fact: Despite the popish name, it isn’t Catholic, it’s Episcopalian. Oddest…Upper West Side
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Attraction
Central Park
Manhattan’s 843-acre green oasis is the yin to the city’s neon, concrete, and office tower yang. It serves as the city’s backyard, its concert hall, its daytime pick-up bar, and, in the summer, when dozens don bathing suits to soak up the rays, its green beach. The marvel of the…Uptown East and West
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Landmark
Central Park Information Center
The Information Center in the Dairy, is located midpark in a 19th-century-style building overlooking Wollman Rink at about 65th Street, to get a good park map and other information on sights and events, and to peruse the kid-friendly exhibit on the park’s history and design.Central Park
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Zoo
Central Park Zoo/Tisch Children’s Zoo
Updated January 7, 2025 -- Because of its small size, the zoo is at its best with its displays of smaller animals. The indoor multilevel Tropic Zone is a real highlight, its steamy rainforest home to everything from black-and-white colobus monkeys to Emerald tree boa constrictors to… -
Sports Venue
Chelsea Piers
One of the city’s biggest—and most successful—private urban-development projects is the 30-acre Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex. Jutting out into the Hudson River on four huge piers between 17th and 23rd streets, it’s a terrific multifunctional recreational…Chelsea
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Museum
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Updated January 6, 2025 -- A glitzy affair of changing exhibits that highlight the kiddie zeitgeist of the moment: Red Grooms, Maurice Sendak, and William Wegman’s dog art were just a few of the recent exhibit themes. Those with toddlers should go directly to the Child Development…Upper West Side
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Landmark
Chrysler Building
In the Chrysler Building we see the roaring-twenties version of what Alan Greenspan called “irrational exuberance”—a last burst of corporate headquarter building before stocks succumbed to the thudding crash of 1929. Throughout the previous decade, real estate speculators had been…Midtown East
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Tour
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
A New York institution, led by witty, informed guides (many are also actors), the Circle Line takes travelers round the harbor on 3-hour, 2-hour, and and 75-minute cruises , 60-minute cruises that simply cover the water at the downtown tip of Manhattan, and 50-minute “Express” ones…Midtown West
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Sports Venue
Citi Field
The Mets occupy Citi Field which opened on April 13, 2009, when the Mets hosted the San Diego Padres. They lost, 6–5. That trend continued through much of the 2009 season, though 2015 was a banner year for the team. Inside Citi, there are 15,000 fewer seats than Shea, but, as with…Queens
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Neighborhood
City Island
Take the no. 6 train to its last stop, Pelham Bay Park. Then transfer to City Bus Bx29 toward hidden-treasure City Island. During Colonial times, City Island was known as Minneford Island, which reflected the area's connection to its traditional owners, the Sinawoy Minneford tribe.…The Bronx
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Landmark
Cleopatra’s Needle
This handsome obelisk was a gift to the United States from Egypt in 1881, in recognition of the help this country gave in the construction of the Suez Canal. Transporting the 200-ton pillar took 38 days from Alexandria to New York by ship, and then another 144 just to get it from the…Central Park
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Landmark/Beach/Amusement Park
Coney Island
Updated January 5, 2025 -- Honky-tonk paradise, Coney Island has been rescued from extinction a few times (first from developers and most recently from severe Hurricane Sandy damage). Parts of it have been upgraded, but it’s still possible to ride some of the classic attractions from… -
Gardens
Conservatory Gardens
The park’s only formal gardens are simply stunning, which may be why this is a favorite for wedding photographers. Walk around and you’ll notice that each of the gardens' three sections has a different ambience; one is meant to mimic the gardens of France, another those of Italy, and…Central Park
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Park
Conservatory Waters
Here’s the model boat pond where children's book hero Stuart Little had his fabled race. You can rent a model boat to float around (via remote control), take a look at the Hans Christian Andersen statue (where storytelling takes place on weekends in summer), or visit the Alice in…Central Park
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Museum
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
The Cooper Hewitt today is the museum equivalent of Steve Jobs. The museum, which is the design division of the Smithsonian, has always been a forward-thinking institution since its founding in 1897. But since its full renovation in 2015, it’s taken its mission to explore the “impact…Upper East Side
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David Zwirner
This is not the place for people with delicate sensibilities, but if you don’t mind seeing art that’s really on the edge, you’ll often find something here that will get your adrenaline pumping. Zwirner was profiled in the New York Times, which praised his “"idiosyncratic roster, with…Chelsea
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Landmark
Dime Savings Bank
The 1907 Beaux Arts–style Dime Savings Bank in downtown Brooklyn is a spectacular example of a financial cathedral. Check the Mercury dimes at the top of the interior Corinthian columns as well as the aphorisms about thrift carved into the marble benches. It’s still a functioning…Brooklyn
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Park
Domino Park
Who knew “adaptive re-use” could be this sexy? The only private park on this list (but open to the public), Domino Park sits on a quarter acre of riverside property once owned by the Domino Sugar Refinery. In adapting the land, designer Lisa Switkin (of the firm behind the High… -
Historic Site
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
Built around 1764, the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum is the only Dutch colonial farmhouse remaining in Manhattan. Located way uptown, the landmark has stoically and stylishly survived the urban development that has sprung up around it for the past 2 centuries (and counting). The structure…Inwood
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View/Landmark
Edge
What's the difference between a sky deck and an observation deck? Mostly bragging rights. But because Edge juts out from the side of a skyscraper rather than sitting atop one, it can claim to be the tallest sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, at 100 stories above the pavement. This…Hudson Yards
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Museum
El Museo del Barrio
A showplace for the art of Latin America and the Caribbean. Among its collections are hundreds of pre-Columbian pieces, contemporary and modern paintings and sculptures, and, most significantly, 500 Santos de Palo, mostly from Puerto Rico. These hand-carved, wooden saints are very…Upper East Side
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Historic Site
Ellis Island
Updated December 30, 2024 -- The epicenter of the largest migration in human history, Ellis Island was in near-continuous use from 1892 to 1954 as the point-of-entry processing center for the majority of immigrants (including my grandmother) who settled in the U.S. during those… -
Landmark
Empire State Building
Updated January 11, 2025 -- There’s no better introduction to New York than a visit to the Empire State Building. The apex of the New York skyline, both literally (at 102 stories and 1,454 ft.) and figuratively, the view from its Observation Deck is at once instructive and…Midtown West
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Historic Site
Federal Hall National Memorial
One of Wall Street’s most recognizable sights is the imposing Federal Hall National Memorial. Built in 1842, the memorial, with the 1883-built statue of George Washington on the steps directly across from the New York Stock Exchange, was erected on the site of New York’s first City…The Financial District
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Landmark
Flatiron Building
You’ll probably know the Flatiron Building even before you see it, thanks to the famous photos of the building taken by Alfred Stieglitz, who snapped it numerous times, calling the Fuller Building (its original name) “a picture of new America still in the making.” Many consider it…Flatiron District
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Museum
Fotografiska
Is New York's hottest nightspot a museum? The answer is yes. Or maybe we should say ja, since this is an offshoot of the Swedish Fotografiska, a hugely popular contemporary photography institution that taught Stockholm's art world how to party. Like the original, New York's iteration…Flatiron
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Park
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
On October 24, 2012, a small miracle occurred: Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island finally opened. An austerely beautiful tribute to the four-term president, this rectangular park with sculpture at its tip honoring the late president, was designed by star…Roosevelt Island
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Historic Site
Fraunces Tavern
Fraunces Tavern is one of the most significant historic sites of "Nieuw Amsterdam." Housed in a building from 1717, this watering hole and restaurant is a 1907 replica of the original tavern on the premises, where George Washington bade farewell to his officers at the end of the…The Financial District
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Tour
Free Tours by Foot
This outfit offers what I think are some of the most well-rounded, spirited historical tours of the city. No, they're not actually free; you're expected to tip at the end, about $20, and you really should because the guide has to hand over a percentage of the tips to the “boss” who… -
Gagosian Gallery
In its three Manhattan locations (one uptown, two in Chelsea), international powerhouse Gagosian Gallery rotates shows of works by modern masters such as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock, plus paintings and sculptures by contemporary heavy hitters John Currin,…Chelsea
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Park/Historic Site
Governors Island
Situated a half-mile south of Manhattan, the 172-acre Governors Island, was, for many years, a Coast Guard installation. Before that, it was an army post for nearly 200 years and played a part in the Revolutionary War. In April 2010, New York City took over. Because it was a military… -
Historic Building
Gracie Mansion
New York City has been at the center of United States history since well before the country itself was founded. So it makes sense that a tour of the mayor’s house—built in 1799 and one of only three dedicated mayors’ homes in the United States—will be compelling even for those who… -
Landmark
Grand Central Terminal
Updated January 4, 2025 -- In ancient Roman times, the entrances to great cities were framed with monumental arches, meant to awe all who passed through. When Grand Central Station was being built at the turn of the last century, it was recognized that our railroad terminals were our…Midtown East
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Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Updated January 6, 2025 -- As you wander through New York City, you’ll come upon a number of street names named for the important Gothamites you’ll also encounter at Green-Wood. The “first families” of the city were all interred here, as were such notables as DeWitt Clinton (a…Brooklyn
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Historic home
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
What was for many years an obscure under-visited attraction now sells out many days a week, thanks to the popularity of a certain musical. I wish I could tell you that seeing the house is a worthy alternative to scoring a precious ticket to the show. It isn’t. While the house itself… -
Tour
Harlem Heritage Tours
This long established outfit offers gospel and jazz tours of Harlem that can be combined with a soul-food meal. Prices start at $45 for a “Harlem Gospel Walking Tour” and go up from there based on length and activities/meals. -
Park
High Line Park
For years, a secret, untamed garden hovered above the cityscape of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. Formed from the wild grass, flower, and weed seeds that randomly blew onto the tracks of a 1 1/2-mile abandoned elevated railway, it became a hidden-in-plain-sight oasis for those New…Meatpacking District & Chelsea
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Museum
Hispanic Society Museum & Library
Set in a majestic Belle Epoque complex, the Hispanic Society has been collecting the art of Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the Philippines since 1904. A lengthy and costly ($20 million) renovation kept it out of the public eye for a number of years until spring of 2023, when it… -
Park
Hudson River Park
This 500-acre park runs for 4 miles, transforming once industrial waterfront into a variety of parks and playspaces. They include Sheep Meadow–like expanses of grass, marvelous landscaping, terrific views of the Hudson River, innovative playgrounds (including a science-based one that… -
Park/Garden
Hudson River Park Carousel & Skatepark
Located at Pier 62 on the Hudson River next to Chelsea Piers, the carousel and skatepark are part of a 9-acre park (which includes the adjacent Pier 63) that is, without exaggerating, an urban miracle. With a Sheeps Meadow-like expanse of grass, marvelous landscaping and terrific… -
Neighborhood
Hudson Yards
At 28 acres, Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in American history. Amazingly, it was built in the most crowded city in the United States without displacing a single resident. That’s because the area it occupies, from 30th Street to 35th Street, and Tenth… -
Cultural complex
Industry City
Updated January 6, 2025 -- Like other neighborhoods in Gotham—for example, Soho—Industry City went from derelict warehouses to artists’ community to tourist entertainment hub (much to the chagrin of those artists). This 16-building complex, originally created by Irving T. Bush in the… -
Tour
Inside Out Tours
These tours focus on what it calls the city’s “hidden history”, which often means tours that explore the city’s role during the slave trade, and as a stop on the underground railroad; a gospel tour of Harlem; and in human-centered looks at several Brooklyn neighborhoods. Inside Out… -
Museum
International Center of Photography
Updated January 1, 2025––Photojournalism is the emphasis here, which shouldn’t be surprising considering ICP was founded in 1974 by Cornell Capa, brother of eminent war photographer Robert Capa (Cornell was a photographer in his own right as well). When you visit, expect to see…Lower East Side
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Museum/Historic Site
Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
Updated January 3, 2025 -- How’s this for an all-star lineup? Not only does the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum display the Space Shuttle Intrepid, it’s got the world’s only tourable nuclear submarine, the famed Concorde jet, nearly two-dozen grounded jets, a Revolutionary…Midtown West
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Art museum
Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum
Updated January 6, 2025 -- Utterly unique, it’s the only museum in the nation to be founded by an artist in his lifetime, dedicated to his work and curated by him. As Noguchi (1904–88) was a genius in a number of fields—sculpture, architecture, ceramics, furniture design—he was more…Long Island City, Queens
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Museum
Jackie Robinson Museum
Updated January 2, 2025 –– As much about the Civil Rights Movement as it is about baseball, this two-room museum takes a detailed, clear-eyed look at the life of a great American hero and his times. It does so with the use of well-produced videos, a smattering of artifacts, and a… -
Sports Venue
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
North of the 86th Street Transverse Road is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, renamed for the beloved first lady who lived nearby and often enjoyed a run along the 1 1/2-mile jogging track that circles the water.Central Park
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Neighborhood
Jumel Terrace Historic District
Sylvan Terrace feels more like an upstate Hudson River town than a part of Harlem—well worth seeking out for architecture lovers. A walk along it will lead you directly to the grand Morris-Jumel Mansion, which is open to the public for tours.Harlem
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Sports Venue
Lasker Rink and Pool
The Lasker Rink and Pool is the only swimming pool in Central Park, between 106th and 108th streets, overlooking Harlem Meer. During winter months, it’s converted into a skating rink that offers a less hectic alternative to Wollman Rink.Central Park
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Art museum
Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art
Updated January 2, 2025 –– The first LGBTQ art museum in the world was born from the collection of Charles W. Leslie and Fritz Lohman, pioneers who started collecting and exhibiting this genre in 1969. Along the way, the acquired genuine masterworks by such big names as David…Soho
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The Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
New York is the world’s premier performing-arts city, and Lincoln Center is its foremost institution. If you’re planning an evening’s entertainment, check the variety here, which can include opera, dance, symphonies, jazz, theater, film, and more—from classic to contemporary. Lincoln… -
Park
Little Island
Gotham’s newest park seems to float like a watery mirage in the Hudson River. The engineering and architecture by Thomas Featherwick (of Vessel) is stupendous, with a set of 132 concrete “tulips,” all of differing heights, emerging from the water and connecting to form the base of… -
Activity
Loeb Boathouse
This lake is one of the loveliest spots in the city. So though it gets crowded, we think renting a boat, and paddling around a bit, is a pretty swell way to wile away an afternoon.Central Park
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Historic home/museum
Louis Armstrong House Museum
The visitor experience here is as gracious, warm, and intriguing as the man himself, thanks to the marvelous guides (all ex-musicians and jazz historians) who lead visitors through the home every hour on the hour. The only house that this traveling musician ever owned, it was…Queens
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The Performing Arts
Madison Square Garden
Billy Joel has an ongoing residency here. Springsteen, Radiohead, Imagine Dragons, Shakira, and other monsters of rock and pop regularly fill this 20,000-seat arena, which is also home to pro sports teams the Knicks, the Rangers, and the Liberty. A cavernous concrete hulk, it’s… -
Matthew Marks Gallery
A pioneer in Chelsea, Matthew Marks is now one of the neighborhood’s biggest galleries, showing blue-chip artists such as Ellsworth Kelly and Brice Marden, as well as work by iconoclasts such as Nayland Blake, Nan Goldin, and Inez van Lamsweerde in collaboration with Vinoodh Matadin.Chelsea
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Museum
Merchant’s House Museum
Updated January 2, 2025 –– New York City has never been very good at preserving its past (perhaps we have too little room . . . or patience), but on East 4th Street this precious sliver of history has survived utterly intact. In fact, this is the only Victorian-era structure in New…Noho
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Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The giant among New York museums both figuratively and literally: At 1.6 million square feet, it’s not just the biggest museum in the city, it’s the largest one in this hemisphere. And I’d argue it competes in stature with the Louvre in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, the Uffizi in…Upper East Side
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Museum
Mmuseumm
Found objects in a found space—that in a nutshell is what makes this, yes, nutshell-sized gallery so beguiling. Set in a non-working, 60-square-foot freight elevator shaft off an alley, the museum was created by three indie filmmakers who found themselves drawn to objects that, in…Chinatown, Soho, Nolita & Noho
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Historic Site
Morris-Jumel Mansion
The oldest house in Manhattan, this mansion was erected in 1765, and was the site of two marquee historic events. General George Washington requisitioned the house after the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn, and made it his campaign HQ for four weeks, much to the chagrin of the Loyalist…Harlem
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Religious Site
Mother A.M.E. Zion Church
One of Harlem’s great gospel churches is this African Methodist Episcopal house of worship, the first black church to be founded in New York State. Established on John Street in lower Manhattan in 1796, Mother A.M.E. was known as the “Freedom Church” for the central role it played in… -
Museum/Historic Site
Museum at Eldridge Street
Updated January 2, 2025––An 1887 synagogue, the oldest house of worship in the city for Eastern European Jews, the Eldridge Street Project has the kind of grandeur that one normally associates with the cathedrals of Europe. There’s a poignancy to the place as well, as the building…Lower East Side
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Museum
Museum of Arts and Design
It’s not easy to get a New Yorker’s attention, but this museum has done that consistently, and is one of the few museums in town where you’ll see more locals than visitors. It draws them in with creative, sometimes wacky, exhibitions on design. One, for example, highlighted the pins…Midtown West
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Museum
Museum of Broadway
When a Broadway show needs new cast members, it puts an ad in Playbill, the long-running theater industry publication. The Museum of Broadway did the same when it was looking for gallery guards, and these eager, knowledgeable theater geeks (most are would-be actors) are the… -
Museum
Museum of Chinese in America
Updated January 2, 2025 – The story of the Chinese immigrant experience in the U.S. is wholly different from that of any other ethnic group that came here. Arguably, these Chinese Americans, like the African Americans who came here as slaves, had a much more difficult time than other…Soho
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Museum
Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
It used to be an emotionally draining experience to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage, which dealss in explicit fashion with the Holocaust. But thanks to a recent overhaul of its core exhibit, the museum today focuses far more on the personal stories of those whose lives were…Financial District
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Museum
Museum of Modern Art
Updated January 3, 2025 -- MoMA, as it’s nicknamed, doesn’t want for masterpieces. This is where you’ll find seminal works by Picasso, van Gogh, Brancusi, Dalí, and Matisse, among others. But which ones you find here is often in flux: it’s the museum’s policy to rehang works…Midtown West
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Museum
Museum of Sex
Updated January 4, 2025 -- Though it tries hard to avoid a carnival atmosphere, with voluminous and often soporific wall text, this museum still has a major “wink, wink, giggle, giggle” quotient. If you’re interested in the subject from an anthropological perspective, you may be…Flatiron District
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Museum
Museum of the City of New York
Updated January 5, 2025 –– Thanks to a recent overhaul, this nearly-century old museum (it was founded in 1923) is finally making good on the promise of its name. Today, it offers visitors a textured, dramatic, suavely-interactive look at the improbable tale of a tiny, obscure Dutch…Upper East Side
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Museum
Museum of the Dog
Founded by the American Kennel Club, this attraction welcomes four-legged museumgoers as well as their two-legged companions. All get to experience the fun interactive exhibits on service dogs and the differences breed-to-breed, and a (mostly) mediocre collection of canine… -
Museum
Museum of the Moving Image
Updated January 6, 2025 -- For sheer, unadulterated fun, there’s no museum in town that can beat this one. The first museum anywhere to look at TV, film, and video games together (a heretical concept when the museum was opened in 1988), it’s not simply an archive of past shows.…Astoria, Queens
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Museum
National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center
Housed in the magnificent Customs House, designed by architect Cass Gilbert, this museum is a sister institution to the one in Washington, D.C., though it was founded a decade earlier in 1994. Both are now part of the Smithsonian (free to enter!), and have as a foundation some 1… -
Museum
Neue Galerie New York
Updated January 5, 2025 -- Most notable for its jewel-toned paintings by Gustave Klimt (including the famed "Woman in Gold"), its "Didn’t I sit on that in the '70s?" Bauhaus furniture, and its collection of drawings by such Teutonic masters as Dix, Schiele, and Breuer, the Neue… -
Museum
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Perhaps the greatest sign of New York City’s ever-increasing prosperity is the fact that now, even the gritty, grimy Bowery (birthplace of the term “bowery bums” for the homeless people who used to swarm its cheap bars and bunk in its missions) now has a museum. And a bright and…Lower East Side
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Aquarium
New York Aquarium
Updated January 6, 2025 -- The marquee attraction here is the whizbang Ocean Wonders center. Dedicated to sharks, and the Grand Canyon-deep underwater "Hudson Canyon" that’s just 40 miles off the coast of the city, this center showcases great whites, leopard sharks, giant rays and…Coney Island, Brooklyn
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Garden
New York Botanical Garden
An equal to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in both scope and interest, the New York Botanical Garden boasts the world’s largest Victorian greenhouse; a "home gardening" section with classes and demonstrations for all the green thumbs out there; a children’s garden and play center; and a…The Bronx
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Museum
New York Hall of Science
Updated January 6, 2025 -- Set in one of the few remaining buildings from the 1964 World’s Fair, the museum is a big hit with science-attuned youngsters, as most of the exhibits here are hands-on and interactive. And for those who just want to blow off steam, there’s a minigolf park…Queens
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Tour
New York Like a Native
There are New York natives and there are Brooklyn natives—please don’t confuse the two. Norman Oder is the latter and proud of it. His New York Like a Native tours cover the borough, the fourth-largest city in America, as extensively as anyone, from his “Brooklyn 101,” which takes…Brooklyn
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Library
New York Public Library
Updated January 4, 2025 -- Many art historians consider this to be the finest Beaux Arts building in the United States. It certainly is one of the grandest, completed in 1911 at a cost of over $9 million and built by the famous firm of Carrere and Hastings. The exterior takes its…Midtown East
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Museum
New York Transit Museum
Updated January 5, 2025 -- An underground museum (yes, it’s in a former subway station), covering the storied history of the NYC subway system. Best for kids and train nuts, the museum houses a number of handsome vintage subway cars, turnstiles, and the mosaics that used to be in the…Brooklyn
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Museum
New-York Historical Society
Updated January 5, 2025 -- When you’re NYC’s oldest museum (founded in 1804), your attic gets mighty full. In past years that fourth-floor “attic” felt like a treasure hunt, its open storage units overflowing with telling artifacts from the museum’s holdings—a Tiffany lamp here, a…Upper West Side
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Tour
Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Funnily enough, though the tour of this church is called “Catacombs by Candlelight”, the catacombs aren’t the highlight of this sweep through the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral. What makes this experience so absorbing is how the talented, humorous guides retell the history of the… -
Tour
On Location Tours
These tours offers up the “as seen on the screen” version of NYC, basing its tours on sites made famous by Gossip Girl, Sex in the City, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and even TMZ (that tour’s a gossip fest). Schedules and departure points vary depending on what tour you take, and tickets… -
View/Landmark
One World Observatory
Updated January 1, 2025 –– I'm going to say what no polite travel writer does: A big part of the allure of seeing the view from atop the western hemisphere’s tallest building (at 1,776 ft.) is the knowledge that you may be tempting fate by doing so. The skyscraper was built as a nose…Financial District
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Museum
P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center
Updated January 6, 2025 -- A proving ground for young artists, the work you’re going to see here will be challenging, right of the moment, and sometimes downright wacky. “P.S. 1 is mythological,” says former Assistant Director Brett Littman. “Wherever I go, people know that there’s…Long Island City, Queens
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Pace Gallery
The Pace Gallery has been a cornerstone of the international art world for decades. Among the many artists it featured over the decades are Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Barbara Hepworth, Agnes Martin, Louise Nevelson, and Mark Rothko. It has 8 other outposts in Asia, Europe and…Chelsea
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Paula Cooper
In a sky-high converted warehouse space designed by Richard Gluckman, Paula Cooper impeccably presents impeccable works by Minimalist masters Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, and others, including a younger generation of artists such as John Tremblay and Sophie Calle.Chelsea
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Park/Garden
Pelham Bay Park
Most tourists think the largest park in New York City is Central Park. Surprise! It’s the Bronx’s own Pelham Bay Park. In the northeast corner of the Bronx, Pelham Bay Park was created in 1888 and covers over 2,700 acres. It is also the playground for residents of nearby Co-op City,…The Bronx
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Landmark
Prison Ship Martyrs Monument
In Brooklyn’s historic Fort Greene Park, you’ll find this oft-overlooked monument standing tall at the center of the hill. Designed by legendary New York architecture firm McKim, Meade & White, the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument was dedicated by President Taft in 1908,…Brooklyn
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Park
Prospect Park
Updated January 7, 2025 -- Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux after their success with Central Park, this 562 acres of woodland, meadows, and ponds is considered by many to be their masterpiece and the pièce de résistance of Brooklyn. The best approach is from Grand… -
Museum
Queens Museum
Updated January 6, 2025 -- Long before there was Google Earth, there was the Panorama of the City of New York. A diorama of 9,335 square feet, it was created for the 1964–65 World’s Fair with the help of photographers who swooped in helicopters over the city, taking over 7,000 photos…Corona Park, Queens
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The Performing Arts
Radio City Music Hall
This stunning 6,200-seat Art Deco theater opened in 1932, and legendary Radio City continues to be a choice venue, where the theater alone adds a dash of panache to any performance. Star of the holiday season is the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the legendary Rockettes.… -
Attraction
Rise NY
Updated January 3, 2025 –– An amusement park with the soul of a museum, Rise NY’s marquee attraction is a ride that makes you feel like you’re swooping over the city. It takes place in a 40-foot-tall dome with 180-degree views of well-executed 3D videos, plus misters, and a… -
Park
Riverside Park
Central Park was not the only green space Olmsted and Vaux created in New York City. In fact, many consider Prospect Park (see above) and Riverside Park to be their true masterworks. As its name suggests, Riverside Park has always had one advantage over Central Park: glorious river…Upper West Side
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Landmark
Rockefeller Center
Updated January 3, 2025 -- Gotham’s splendid “city within a city” was built in the 1930s at the height of the Depression. Thanks to the jobs it gave construction workers, it was the second-largest employer in the city after the federal Works Progress Association (or WPA) at the time.… -
Museum
Rubin Museum of Art
Travelers who need a break from the bustle and stresses of New York can escape to the Rubin, a serene, contemplative museum of art from the Himalayas. Secular in origin—the museum was founded by an American millionaire and his wife who fell in love with the art of this region—its…Chelsea
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View/Landmark
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt an interactive artwork—or the world's tallest fun house? You could make a case for either. The attraction is undeniably a house of mirrors, but it was created by artist Kenzo Digital. When visitors finish the ear-popping 42-second elevator ride up 1,000 feet,…Midtown East
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Meadow
Sheep’s Meadow
The premier see-and-be-seen spot for New York’s teenagers, who turn this expanse of grass into a sunbathing party come spring and summer. They’re following a long tradition: This is where New York’s hippie “be in,” a day of non-political grooviness created by Abbie Hoffman, took…Central Park
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Museum
Skyscraper Museum
Don’t dismiss this small museum: It’s far more interesting than one would expect. An architecturally innovative space in and of itself (notice how the shiny metals, ascending ramp, and mirrored surfaces gives the smallish room its own skyscraper aspect), the museum explores not only…Financial District
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Market
Smorgasburg
This is the largest outdoor food market in the United States. Smorgasburg’s 100 or so food vendors take their stands outdoors to both East River State Park in Williamsburg on Saturdays (enter at Kent Street and North 7th Street), to Prospect Park on Sundays (Breeze Hill, East Drive… -
Park/Garden
Socrates Sculpture Park
This former riverside landfill is now the best exhibition space for large-scale outdoor sculpture in the city. No velvet ropes and motion sensors here—interaction with the artwork is encouraged. It’s well worth a look, especially on a lovely day, and has a spectacular view of…Queens
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Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Updated January 5, 2025 -- New York is the city of the rectangle, of the sharp right angle. Our streets form a severe grid, our buildings are boxy and regular. Until you get to the Guggenheim, that is. Frank Lloyd Wright’s delirious spiral of a museum sits among the towers of Fifth…Upper East Side
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Museum
South Street Seaport Museum
The top reason to come here are for tours of the historic sailing vessels the museum has moored off Pier 16 (it owns six, and some take visitors out on sails; consult the website for a schedule). Other than that, the museum has been reduced to a “ye olde printing shoppe,” some…Financial District
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Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
The largest Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States, St. Pat’s is also the seat of the Archdiocese of New York. Designed by James Renwick, begun in 1859, and consecrated in 1879, St. Patrick’s wasn’t completed until 1906. The vast cathedral seats a congregation of 2,200; if you…Midtown East
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Religious Site
St. Paul’s Chapel
Built in 1766, this is not only the oldest church in the city, it’s the only public space to be in continuous use since the Colonial era. The design of the church, with its Ionic columns and huge pediment, was based on that of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, though I think the…The Financial District
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Tour
Staten Island Ferry
Most visitors—and even some New Yorkers—don’t know that the Staten Island Ferry makes its own daily excursion within Polaroid distance of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Governor’s Island. And riders pay absolutely nothing for the great views. You simply board the ship (be… -
Landmark
Statue of Liberty
Updated January 1, 2025––The great harbor of New York and the grand lady who guards it are, after Ground Zero and the Empire State Building, the city’s top must-visit attractions. You’ll follow in the footsteps of the millions of immigrants and visitors who came here before you,… -
Memorial
Strawberry Fields
A memorial to John Lennon, who was shot to death in front of the Dakota apartment house (1 W. 72nd St.) just across the street from here. A mosaic spells out “Imagine” on the ground; many come here to play music and leave flowers.Central Park
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Landmark
Strivers’ Row
Hardly a brick has changed among the gorgeous McKim, Mead & White neo–Italian Renaissance town houses since they were built in 1890. Once the original white owners had moved out, these lovely houses attracted the cream of Harlem, such “strivers” as Eubie Blake and W. C. Handy.Harlem
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Museum
Studio Museum in Harlem
Note: The Studio Museum is closed for renovations until 2024. It will be showing works in other venues, mostly in Harlem, so head to its website to see if any offerings are on while you're in town.Though it’s not a large museum, the Studio Museum is one of the most respected in…Harlem
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Neighborhood
Sugar Hill
Handsome brownstones, limestone town houses, and row houses sit atop Sugar Hill, named for the "sweet life" enjoyed by its residents. In the early 20th century, such prominent blacks as W. E. B. DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, and Roy Wilkins lived in the now–landmark building at 409…Harlem
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Religious Site
Temple Emanu-El
Many of New York’s most prominent and wealthy families are members of this Reform congregation—the first to be established in New York City—housed in the city’s most famous synagogue. The largest house of Jewish worship in the world is a majestic blend of Moorish and Romanesque… -
Museum
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum
The very first museum of its type in the nation, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum isn’t easy to get to from Manhattan, but it rewards those who make the trek (there’s a shuttle from the nearest subway stop many days of the week; check the museum’s website). Taking as its inspiration…Williamsburg, Brooklyn
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Carousel
The Carousel
A Victorian spinner, this is most children’s favorite park stop (it certainly is my daughters’). Though it’s not the original carousel (the first burned down in the 1950s), it’s a beaut, built in Coney Island in 1908, and featuring some of the tallest merry-go-round horses in the…Central Park
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Museum
The Cloisters
Updated January 5, 2025 -- An offshoot of the Metropolitan Museum, the Cloisters is the only museum in the United States devoted wholly to medieval art. And it shows its masterworks in a setting that appears to have been airlifted, utterly intact, from some remote corner of the…Upper Manhattan
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Tours
The Dairy
Completed in 1871, this frou-frou–laden Gothic structure was an actual dairy set up to give city children access to fresh milk. Today it serves as the park’s visitor center, so it’s a good place to stop first to pick up maps. Most of the Central Park Conservancy’s free tours start…Central Park
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Historic Site
The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage
The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, was the last home (1846–49) of the brilliant but troubled poet and author, who moved his wife here because he thought the "country air" would be good for her tuberculosis. The house is outfitted as a memorial to the writer, with period furnishings and…The Bronx
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Museum
The Frick Collection
Important note: The Frick is currently closed for renovations, but its collection has been moved to a temporary museum called Frick Madison. To see our review of that museum, along with photos and information on hours, address and admission costs, please click here. Arguably the best…Upper East Side
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Museum
The Jewish Museum
Updated The “modest” goal of this intriguing museum is to explore 4,000 years of Jewish culture through art. Surprisingly, it succeeds much of the time. Its two-floor permanent exhibition (which starts on the fourth floor) gently guides viewers from the biblical era, and the many… -
Park
The Mall, Bethesda Terrace & the Loeb Boathouse
In their original plans for the park, Olmsted and Vaux called the area known today as the Mall “the Promenade,” and intended for it to be an “open air hall of reception.” Today when you visit you’ll be greeted by a grand elm tree–lined walkway bedecked with statues. At its Uptown end…Central Park
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Museum
The Morgan Library & Museum
Updated January 4, 2025 -- Famed Canadian scientist George Mercer Dawson once wrote that a great library contained “the diary of the human race.” With that definition, very few libraries come as close to greatness as the Morgan, which contains examples of the written word from the…Midtown East
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Museum
The Museum at FIT
You don’t have to be a fashionista to appreciate NYC’s premier design school’s museum. Yes, you’ll see a lot of clothing, but exhibits here tend to explore cultural history through the lens of fashion, looking at such topics as how denim went from factory wear to club gear; the… -
Museum
The National Museum of Mathematics
When this museum first debuted in 2012, I warned my children that if they didn’t behave, I’d take them there. It was no punishment, however, when we finally went. Creatively designed to bring math concepts to life, this little museum (it takes about an hour to see it) has two floors…Flatiron District
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Architecture/Historic Site
The Riverside Church
With the tallest steeple in North America, Riverside Church has been a focal point in the skyline of New York City since the church opened its doors in 1930. And in 2020 the house of worship became a top-tier tourist attraction, too. After some 30 years, a change in the church's… -
Cultural complex
The Shed
The audacity of the vision behind this new arts center is startling . . . and exciting. Instead of programming The Shed for seasons of original works interspersed with pieces brought in from other similar institutions (the modus operandi of pretty much every other museum and… -
Museum
The Tenement Museum
Updated January 2, 2025––At first glance, this museum looks like just many brownstone building on this Lower East Side block . . . and that's exactly the point. The first-ever National Trust for Historic Preservation site that was not the home of someone rich or famous, the Tenement…Lower East Side
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Landmark
Times Square
Adam Gopnik wrote about Times Square in The New Yorker, “No other part of New York has had such a melodramatic sensitivity to the changes in the city’s history, with an image for every decade.” Think for a moment and those visions of Times Square should start flooding your mind:… -
Park
Tompkins Square Park
This would be my pick for the city’s funkiest green space. It's seen its share of political protests—in 1988 a standoff between the police and the homeless people living here culminated in five days of rioting and charges of police brutality—but today it’s better known for the very…East Village
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View/Landmark
Top of the Rock
While not as high as the one in the Empire State Building or One World Observatory, Top of the Rock gives them a run for the money with its own striking views (you have a much better vista of Central Park from here, a grand bumpy green blanket laid at your feet). The Rock re-creates… -
The Performing Arts
Town Hall
This intimate landmark theater—a National Historic Site designed by McKim, Mead & White—is blessed with outstanding acoustics, making it an ideal place to enjoy many kinds of performances, including theater, dance, lectures, drama, comedy, film, and pop and world music. The… -
Church
Trinity Church
Updated January 1, 2025--This is actually the third Trinity Church to stand on this site. The first version was destroyed in the fire set by fleeing colonists in 1776 to thwart British occupiers (it ended up razing one-third of the structures in Manhattan). The second was poorly… -
Tour
Turnstile Tours
This outfit is run by a husband-and-wife pair who team with important historic sites around the city to not only lead tours, but help them build out their on-site museums and oral history projects. This means that a lot of what you’ll learn on their history-rich outings come from… -
Historic Site
U.S. Customs House
Not far from Castle Clinton, across the street from the northeast corner of Battery Park is the relatively modern 1907-built U.S. Customs House, which houses the National Museum of the American Indian and a federal bankruptcy court. Designed by Cass Gilbert and now a National…The Financial District
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Park/Market
Union Square Park
The spirit of the 1960s is still very much alive here, though Union Square Park’s tradition of political activism goes back to the first Labor Day Parade in 1882, which ended in the park. Since that time, it has become soapbox central, a place where orators come on a daily basis to…Union Square area
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Architecture/Historic Site
United Nations
Updated January 4, 2025 -- It’s this seven-block stretch of international territory that makes New York City the capital of the world. No, really. It’s become fashionable of late in some political circles to denigrate the U.N. Though some reform is obviously necessary, a tour here…Midtown East
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Architecture
Vessel
As Taylor Swift famously opined, "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate." When the renderings of Hudson Yards were first made public, no element elicited quite so much derision as this massive interactive statue. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the open tower is covered by copper-colored… -
Landmark
Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
This is the most famous (some would say infamous) financial institution in the world, the New York Stock Exchange. The building’s towering columns, crowded ornamental pediment, and huge flag trumpet louder than any opening bell that this is a place of incomparable might and prestige…Financial District
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Park
Washington Square Park
This park is nothing if not tuneful, and has long been a place for amateur musicians to gather in groups, lugging along instruments for impromptu concerts each weekend (and many weeknights when the weather is nice). The round fountain in the center of the park serves as a stage for a…Greenwich Village
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Park/Garden
Wave Hill
Formerly a private estate with panoramic views of the Hudson River and the Palisades, Wave Hill has, at various times in its history, been home to a British U.N. ambassador, Mark Twain, and Theodore Roosevelt. Set in a stunningly bucolic neighborhood that doesn’t look anything like…The Bronx
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Museum
Whitney Museum of American Art
Updated January 2, 2025 –– The cannon of American art is celebrated, and in some ways, was created by the Whitney Museum. It was Whitney curators, and Whitney founder Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, after all, who championed such now iconic artists as Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe,…Meatpacking District
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Williamsburg Art & Historical Center
Located in the 1867-built Second Empire-style Kings County Savings Bank at 135 Broadway, this is the largest gallery space in Williamsburg. The shows here are funky and diverse. Browsing the museum is a good way to work off a porterhouse from nearby Peter Luger Steakhouse.Brooklyn
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Skating Rink/Park
Wollman Rink
A wonderfully scenic place to skate, you may remember it from the movies Hone Alone 2, Serendipity, and Love Story. In the summer and spring months, the rink hosts varied events, from concerts to “sip and paint” classes.Central Park
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Sports Venue
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium, the "new" one, opened in 2009 and cost over $1 billion. It's a stone’s throw from the old. Ownership—that is, the Steinbrenners—retained much of the style of the old stadium. The field dimensions are the same, for example (though home runs fly out in great number).…The Bronx
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Arts
Artechouse
Updated January 2, 2025 -- Did you see any of those interactive Van Gogh spectacles? This is that kind of immersive, digital art piece—but done by less famous, contemporary artists. Shows, which change every three months or so, are held in the 6,000-square-foot former boiler room of…
New York City Shopping
Visitors adore New York's heavily discounted designer clothes shops, like Downtown's Century 21. Fifth Avenue is home to mega department store Macy's, ultra-fashionable shoes at Jimmy Choo and technical wizardry at the Apple Store. In bohemian Greenwich Village, discover unconventional sounds in Other Music, or ...
Visitors adore New York's heavily discounted designer clothes shops, like Downtown's Century 21. Fifth Avenue is home to mega department store Macy's, ultra-fashionable shoes at Jimmy Choo and technical wizardry at the Apple Store. In bohemian Greenwich Village, discover unconventional sounds in Other Music, or try SoHo for boutique chic. Most shops open daily 10am-7pm, starting later on Sunday.
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Art
303 Gallery
The Whitney biennial has this gallery on speed dial, having picked up works by several of the young to mid-career, cutting-edge photographers and painters who present shows here. For a good look at the artists the gallery represents, visit the website first.Chelsea
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Clothing
3x1
Right in the heart of this Soho store is a small, glassed-in factory with ten seamstresses behind whirring machines, knocking out two pairs of custom jeans a day. If you have a hard-to-fit physique (many athletes come here), it may be worth getting a pair (they cost upwards of $700…Soho
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Housewares & Furniture
ABC Carpet & Home
A museum. A temple. A sanctuary. I can’t afford to buy a darn thing at ABC Carpet except for spiffy soaps, but I sure do love trolling the floors here, as the goods on offer are simply exquisite. You might find children’s furniture and bedding fit for Kate and William’s kid, throw…Union Square Area
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Beauty
Aedes de Venustas
Evoking a romantic boudoir out of the Victorian era, this whimsical spot offers hard-to-find scents, mostly from France.Lower East Side
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Shoes
AllBirds
You’ve likely seen them online. Now you can try for yourself whether this brand of merino wool shoes feels like walking on clouds, as is reported—and whether they’ll look as grandmotherly in person. This is just one of two-dozen bricks-and-mortar stores in the world for this popular…Soho
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Toys
American Girl Place
Your little princess may never forgive you if you don’t take her to this 43,000-square-foot emporium for little girls, featuring a cafe, bookstore, and theater. If you come, don’t forget to bring her favorite doll so it can get a makeover at the store’s own doll salon. The store also… -
Toys
American Girl Place
Sigh. Will you be able to avoid this place if you’re traveling with a girl under the age of 8? Probably not, though many people find the experience underwhelming and overcrowded (despite the fact that this is a 43,000-square-foot store). To “do” the whole experience, you’ll want to…Midtown
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Cosmetics
Archerie
Kicky prints, figure-flattering designs, and reasonable prices are the hallmarks of Archerie, a small womenswear shop/line where you’ll likely be fitted by the owner, designer Jillian Kaufman Grano (she started her career working for Perry Ellis and Paul Stuart).Soho
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B&H Photo & Video
I know people who visit New York City just to shop at B&H. Not only is it the largest camera store in the United States, it also boasts the best prices in the country (and that’s a rarity for NYC). But you’d be mistaken if you think the store is just for shutterbugs; it’s also…Midtown West
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Bookstores
Barnes & Noble
This famous chain—largest in the nation—was founded in NYC, and while the original store is now closed, the rest are a wonderland for bibliophiles, of which numerous branches are found throughout the city and its suburbs.Multiple Locations
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Clothing
Beacon’s Closet
Beacon’s trades in both trendy and vintage clothes, brought in by the fashionistas of the city. Very few items cost more than $20 and the selection is huge.Union Square area
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Department store
Bloomingdale’s
Classier than Macy’s (see below) and a bit more logical in terms of layout, Bloomingdale’s is a shopping behemoth with enough excitement to keep shopaholics occupied for several hours. Founded in 1872 as a hoopskirt store, the vast emporium is still in the forefront of fashion, with…Midtown East
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Gifts
Blue Tree
Conversation pieces are the find here, both home-oriented (a massive copper rhino, a Bingo set of members of the British Royal family) and sartorial (fascinators, the softest t-shirts on the planet, scarves in the shape of animals). Prices reflect the ritzy Upper East Side setting.Upper East Side
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Clothing
Blue in Green
For the hip, or would-be hip, hunk in your life, this store carries a slew of small-production American designers (many NYC based), as well as some of the most of-the-moment brands from Japan. You’ll find everything from classic t’s, to fashion-forward no collar button downs, to well…Soho
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Bookstores
Book Culture
This burgeoning mini-chain consists of four stores that are not only well-curated and expertly staffed, they have become true centers for their communities.Several Locations
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Bookstores
Books Are Magic
Founded by best-selling novelist Emma Staub—you’ll often meet her behind the counter at the front—Books of Magic has an influence well beyond Brooklyn thanks to its superb near-nightly authors events. Regular browsing here is pretty great, too, thanks to a robust children’s section,…Brooklyn
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Bookstores
Books of Wonder
Do you remember the charming bookstore in the Meg Ryan romcom You’ve Got Mail? It was inspired by Books of Wonder (Meg even worked here briefly to train for the role), and the real thing is just as magical (and jam-packed with great kiddie reads) as the cinematic store. Here you'll…Flatiron District
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Fashion
Brooks Brothers
Yes, it’s a chain, but this is where it started and the store is a classic, all burnished woods, seas of ties, and salesladies in pearls. There are other outlets around the city, but for the true Brooks Brothers experience, you need to come here.Midtown East
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Perfume & Cosmetics
C. O. Bigelow
The oldest apothecary shop in the nation (it was founded in 1838), Bigelow has become known for its huge range of beauty supplies, carrying European and Japanese products that aren’t available anywhere else in the U.S. Some of the products are quite unusual (like “frownies,” an 1800s…Greenwich Village
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Toys
CAMP
Toddler paradise! Kids ages 8 and under will adore this humungous 10,000-square-foot new store-cum-playspace, which is (mostly) hidden by a swinging bookcase/door. Behind that lies a “magic forest”, a cute “camp bunkroom” and a disco-themed space, connected to the bunk with a tube…Flatiron District
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Fashion
Calypso Au Marche
Wispy skirts, beaded tops, sinewy trousers, cropped cashmere sweaters, thin Ts available in every color of the rainbow—all of these goods and more, make up the hippy, chic, Caribbean-happy designs at Calypso's oulet store. Settle for last season’s wear (and really, who will know the…Soho
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Shoes
Camper
Footwear miracles are the stock–in–trade of this snazzy Spanish chain. Its ballet slippers don't slip off when you run, Camper's boots take years to wear down at the heel, and—answering the prayers of women everywhere—their high heeled shoes are so comfortable you can walk for hours…Midtown East
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Century 21
Though it’s near-heresy to say so, I count Century 21 as the most overrated store in the city. A four-floor discount department store right across from the World Trade Center site, it made its reputation by selling designer clothing, shoes, and housewares at steeply discounted… -
Food
Chelsea Market
In 1997, what had been the old Nabisco factory went from cranking out Oreos to housing a dozen of the city’s most gourmet-level food vendors. Still the largest of the city’s food malls, it’s a delightful mix of restaurants and stores, all housed in the now industrial-chic shell of…Chelsea
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Beauty
Credo
Historians now think that Queen Elizabeth I likely died from the lead-based makeup she used to whiten her face. Truth is: we’re not much more careful with what we slather on our faces today. Enter Credo, a small chain devoted to selling only “clean” products. By their definition that…NoLiTa
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Gifts
Delphinium Home
When a Broadway show opens, this is where friends of the creative team come to buy their celebratory gifts—it has the type of classy kitsch that community cherishes (it’s owned by former musical theater performers). So you might be taking home something that’s gracing a dressing room…Midtown West
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Food
DiPalo's Dairy
If you can't make it out to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, you can get a taste of the last vestiges of the real Little Italy at this old-fashioned, Italian deli. DiPalo's is a New York institution, in business since 1910, and far better than any of the surrounding restaurants (which are…Little Italy
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Antiques
Dienst + Dotter Antikviteter
Opened by Jill Dienst, a former curator from the Metropolitan Museum, this shop celebrates all that is old and Scandinavian, which means that many of the pieces look more contemporary than those that were created yesterday. You’ll find everything from rococo inlaid tables to…East Village
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Fashion
Dover Street Market
An all-couture department store, Dover specializes in clothing ($6,000 dresses, $500 T-shirts, $1,200 denim jackets) from such NY-based and international labels as Comme des Garcons, Smith and Smith, Rick Owens, and Alexander Wang. All of the goods are displayed as if this were an…Midtown East
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Jewelry
Doyle & Doyle
Run by certified gemologist Elizabeth Doyle and her sister Irene (a veteran of the diamond trade), Doyle & Doyle specializes in Georgian, Edwardian, and Art Deco–era jewelry, which are shown to beautiful effect in display cases mounted on the wall (like fine paintings). Even if…Greenwich Village
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Food
Dylan’s Candy Bar
Dylan Lauren (the daughter of designer Ralph Lauren) created this wonka-esque palace of sugar, and it’s turned into a bona fide tourist attraction over the years. I won’t deny a visit to this shiny, sherbet-colored emporium is fun—heck, just seeing that many different varieties of…Midtown East
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Food
Eataly
I LOVE Eataly. There, I said it. Sure, it’s overcrowded and a tad pretentious. But Lydia Bastianich's (and partners') Italian food hall, which is split between half-a-dozen restaurants and shops selling all sorts of comestibles, is a game changer. Not only has it raised the level of…Flatiron District
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Food
Economy Candy Store
Founded in 1937 and little changed since, this is the place to go for all of those penny candies you can’t find anywhere else, plus classic treats like bubble gum cigars (remember those?) and wax lips. The halvah and house-dipped chocolates are also quite good. A trip down a very…Lower East Side
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Clothing
Everlane
On weekends, two lines snake down Prince Street in Soho: one for fab Prince Street Pizza and the other to enter this equally fabulous clothing store. On sale are finely crafted basics—blazers, jeans, t shirts, simple dresses, khakis, flats, scarves—made at ethical factories (ie…Nolita
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Evolution Nature Store
Who knew that there’d be a market for freeze-dried mice, stuffed piranhas, and pendants made from butterfly wings? Apparently the mad scientists behind Evolution did, and in 1993 they opened this mesmerizing store-cum-museum, where you can spend an engrossing hour staring at…Noho
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Toys
FAO Schwarz
Another required stop for those with children, but slightly less painful than American Girl Place. Yes, the massive toy store has every type of game, bauble, and stuffed animal under the sun, and seeing them all in one place is kinda fun . . . even for grown-ups. Warning: There’s a…Midtown East
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Kitchenware
Fish’s Eddy
Want to bring home a set of dishes with the NY skyline on them? You’ll find those here, along with a slew of equally peppy, original plateware. Those who like vintage styles for modern tableware—like soda fountain and pint glasses—will be in heaven.Union Square Area
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Gifts
Forbidden Planet
Know anyone who lives in a fantasy world? This is where you should buy their gift. Forbidden Planet specializes in all of the “geek” obsessions: sci-fi, horror, Japanese anime, comic books, and fantasy games. That includes figurines from such cult classics as Buffy the Vampire Slayer…Union Square Area
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Housewares
Gracious Home
My family nicknamed Gracious Home the “everything store” because if it’s something you’re going to need for your house, they’ll likely have it. Swanky sheets? They carry 16 brands, including a very nice house brand. Coasters? Can openers? Lawn chairs? Vases? Candles? Trays? Pizza…Upper East Side
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Clothing
Greenstones
Greenstones has a wide variety of trendy but tasteful clothing for newborns through tweens. For boys, that means everything from real suits to happy T’s. On the girls’ side, the clothing ranges from rompers to dresses to casual wear, all of it on-trend without looking like it should…Upper West Side
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Clothing
Gudrun Sjödén
If you love color, you'll love this store. No tone of the rainbow is off limits. Gudrun Sjödén, the eponymous designer, uses both subtle pastels and neon shades in her work, combining them in striking patterns for both women's clothing and homewares. Beyond the jubilant palette,…$$Soho
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Shoes
Harry's Shoes
Harry's caters to people with tender tootsies and does so with great care and expertise. An institution on the Upper West Side, the store specializes in brands that support arches and cushion soles, often for a pretty penny (think Mephisto, Cole Haan, Ecco and Arche). Down the…Upper West Side
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Fashion
Housing Works Thrift Shop
Do-gooder shopping: Not only will you find terrific buys on all of the top designers, but part of what you spend will go to help a homeless person living with HIV or AIDS. Along with designers such as Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, and Diane Von Furstenberg, these stores carry wedding…Multiple Locations
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Clothing
Ibiza Kids
Fine leather footwear and modish sneakers, often from Europe, are the specialties here, though the store also stocks a range of adorable outfits, especially appealing to girls in the “princess phase.” Best of all: there’s a complete toy store on site, so the kiddos can play while you…Midtown East
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Bookstores
Idlewild Books
This innovative travel bookstore makes perusing the shelves intuitive by mixing guidebooks with works of history, memoirs, and other titles about the destination in question. It also boasts one of the most knowledgeable, cheery staffs in the city. A gem.Flatiron District
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Fashion
Ina and Ina Men’s
This is where the Sex and the City costume department resold its clothes once the series ended. Though those costumes are now long gone (they sold out in 2 hours flat), there’s no other place in the city where you’ll be able to achieve “Carrie’s” look as affordably, replicating that…NoLiTa
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Fashion
Intermix
Veronica Beard, Missoni, Mother, Nanushka and a house brand are just some of the designer names that make up the "mix" at Intermix, a pricey, but well curated shop for those who want to be sure they look "on trend". In general, you need to be a size 6 or smaller to have any variety… -
Food
Jacques Torres Chocolate
One of New York’s best and most famous chocolatiers is Jacques Torres Chocolate. The variations of this luxury-chocolate brand are dazzling and include chocolate peanut brittle, chocolate-covered corn flakes, and champagne truffles. Take home a tin of the “wicked” hot chocolate,… -
Jewelry
Jill Platner
Ultra-modern designs mixed with unusual materials (many pieces are strung on a Gore-Tex–like thread called Tenara) make Jill Platner the go-to place for people who like to make a statement with their accessories. All the pieces are made in NYC, and happily, many sell for well under…Soho
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Gifts
John Derian
Fabulous decoupage items, colorful candleholders handmade in Paris, Carrera marble fruit and terra-cotta pottery are but a few of the delicious treats here.East Village
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Food
Kalustyan’s
This 72-year-old international market just keeps growing and growing and growing. It now encompasses three buildings. But the aisles still feel cramped because they’re so crammed with goodies from all corners of the globe: Korean chili paste, candied violets, Tunisian harissa,…Midtown East
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Toys
Kidding Around
This store stays away from all of those annoying beeping, buzzing, and flashing toys. Instead, the focus is on playthings that children manipulate themselves, hopefully learning something in the process. Prices are fair, and the shop has a number of unusual toys such as rubber…Union Square Area
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Cosmetics
Kiehl’s
Founded in 1867 as an apothecary shop—its specialty back then were such magic potions as “Money Drawing Oil”—it switched to more modern snake oil, facial creams, and cleansers in the 1960s and has been wildly popular ever since. (In fact, it's now a multinational chain). Still, this…Union Square Area
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Bookstores
Kitchen Arts & Letters
A superb cookbook store. Along with titles from the standard celeb chefs are out-of-print, rare, and even foreign language books, all just brimming with recipes and advice.Upper East Side
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Fashion
La Garçonne
The first bricks and mortar iteration of the esteemed online women’s clothing marketplace, it sells its usual mix of sleek, straightforward basics, but here you can try them on!Tribeca
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Food
Lady Wong
Steamed Malaysian pastries known as kuih are the creamy, not-too-sweet treats to get here, many of which are crafted from pandan, a fruit rarely seen outside Southeast Asia. They make a great gift, as they’re as beautiful to look at as they are to eat. -
Clothing
Lee Anderson Couture
The trick of being able to afford any of the exquisite hand-sewn clothing here (they look like updated versions of the clothing Betty Draper from Mad Men would have worn in season 1 or 2) is to ring at the main store and ask to be taken to the second-floor outlet across the street.…Upper East Side
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Lower East Side Tenement Museum
More of a bookstore than your typical museum shop, the Lower East Side Tenement shop sells every important title on American immigration published, from histories of the Jewish Lower East Side to tomes on Italian, Irish, German and Chinese immigration. The store also features a nifty…Lower East Side
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Jewelry
Lunessa
This tiny SoHo store, with its gem bar and wondrously friendly staff, make jewelry shopping a heckuva lot of fun. First off, using that gem bar, they’ll help you design your own piece. Or you can choose one of the elegant, delicate creations by owner Elise Perelman.Soho
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Food
Lysee
Usually food this exquisite looking falls short in the flavor department. Not at Lysee, a Korean pastry boutique where tromp loeil’s of ears of corn are filled with corn mousse, and apple tarts fan out the fruit with mandala-like intricacy. The bottom floor is a tearoom that often… -
Department store
Macy’s
With approximately one million items for sale and a huge two-building space that stretches the very long block between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, this, the World’s Largest Store, is also one of New York’s top tourist attractions. It has some of the best prices of the major…Midtown West
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Gifts
Magpie
Guilt-free whimsy is for sale at this cheery little store—all of the goods are either fair trade items from abroad, or crafted here in the good ole U.S. of A. So what will you find? If it’s cute, and gift-worthy, it will likely be on sale, everything from baby’s bibs with witty…Upper West Side
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Clothing
Malia Mills
Cruelty-free bathing suit shopping for women. I’m not talking about the fabrics used, but the kind cuts of these suits and attitudes of the staff. I promise: finding a new garment to swim in won’t be torture here, no matter your age or size.Soho
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Bookstores
McNally Jackson Books
Many bookstores post recommendations from their staff, but few are as right on as the ones here. A great place to find that book for the plane ride home, or just take a break from the shopping madness of SoHo (there’s a nice cafe on-site).NoLiTa
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Food
McNulty's Tea & Coffee Company
McNulty’s has been around since 1895, making it one of the oldest coffee purveyors in the country. And it still has that old-time feel, with overflowing sacks of coffees and rare teas cluttering the quaint West Village store—and they roast their own coffees right there. The Colombia… -
Fashion
Meg
You may not have heard of designer Meghan Kinney, but she’s been a fixture in Manhattan for the past two decade, at several little boutiques around the city. Taking her inspiration from Martha Graham, her designs have a fluidity to them that is quite unique. I also like her use of…Soho
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Gifts
Metropolitan Museum of Art Store
Like something you’ve seen at the museum? It’s likely you’ll be able to bring it home . . . in the form of a mug, or a piece of jewelry, or a print for your wall. The Met is expert at turning the stars of its vast collection into lovely items for daily life. Also notable is the…Multiple Locations
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Gifts
MoMA Design Store
Many of the iconic furniture items displayed at the Museum of Modern Art are sold here, in licensed reproductions, meaning you could take home an Eames recliner or Frank Lloyd Wright chair. The shop also has more affordable items, from nifty toys for kids to beautiful pieces of…Multiple Locations
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Gifts
More and More
An apt name for this living cabinet of wonders, this tiny shop is jam-packed with delightful knick-knacks, toys, and housewares. It’s the best store in the city for Christmas ornaments, but also has some wonderful things to put under the tree: candleholders dripping with crystals,…Upper West Side
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Food
Murray’s Cheese
Cheese is the new wine, attracting obsessive devotees who, like oenophiles, can spend hours tasting, musing, comparing. And Murray’s is at the epicenter of this movement. A cavernous emporium with over 250 varieties of cheese from all over the world and multiple tasting stations,…Greenwich Village
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Museum of Sex
Finally, a museum store where you can buy faux-fur handcuffs! Other sexy and/or sex-related accessories, apparel, games, toys, stationery, and even edibles (Weenie Linguini or Titaroni Pasta, anyone?) round out the offerings.Midtown
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Gifts
New York Transit Museum Store
Hip NYC souvenirs are on sale here, like cufflinks made from old subway tokens or mouse pads with the subway map on them. It's a top souvenir stop, and makes a fun stop if you're doing our walking tour of the Financial District.Financial District
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Sporting Goods
Paragon Sports
Yoga wear, hiking boots, biking shorts, golf cleats, hockey helmets, ice skates, heart monitors, sweat socks, tennis rackets, baseball bats—if it's used for a sport, you'll find it at this massive four-story emporium. And not only is pretty much every sport represented, every…Union Square Area
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Sporting Goods
Patagonia
Expensive it may be, but Patagonia deserves kudos for its commitment to producing efficient and eco-friendly sports and adventure wear—fleece pullovers made from recycled plastic soda bottles, shell jackets in ultralight weatherproof materials, and organic cotton T-shirts. It is a… -
Gifts
Pearl River
If you’re like me, Pearl River will unleash yens you never knew you had. You’ll walk into this two-story department store dedicated to goods imported from Asia, and suddenly realize how much you desperately need lacquered chopsticks, or a silk brocaded mandarin shirt, or that…Chinatown
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Leather Goods
Peter Hermann
The owners of this swank SoHo shop search the world over for artisans who create unique and stylish bags, wallets, and scarves. Many of the pieces come from small producers in Europe and can’t be found anywhere else in the U.S. In 2014, these included ladylike but vibrantly colorful…Soho
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Books
Posman Books
This dazzler of a bookstore helms the northern end of Chelsea Market, and provides an intellectual party to match the vibrant fiesta going on in the market itself. The book selection is savvy, ranging from classic novels to current best sellers to intriguing non-fiction reads…Chelsea
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Fashion
Rag & Bone
The designers behind Rag & Bone founded the label in 2002 with one goal: To make clothes that they and their friends would love to wear every day . . . even though they had no fashion experience. Today the high-quality, high-ticket brand, comprised of everything from tailored… -
Clothing
Reformation
Often when a designer touts how small his carbon footprint is, that means the visual impact of his clothes will likely be puny, too. Not so with Yael Aflalo, the founder of Reformation, who uses surprising silhouettes—a peekaboo panel here, a slung low shoulder strap there, just the…Noho
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Food
Russ & Daughters
Russ & Daughters began as a push cart operation in 1908, and today is still family-run four generations later and has expanded to a good, if wildly pricey, small chain of restaurants. They sell incomparable smoked fish and nova (similar to lox); try the tantalizing smoked-salmon…Lower East Side
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Food
Sahadi’s
The first Sahadi’s was started by Lebanese immigrant Abrahim Sahadi in lower Manhattan in 1896. Barrels or feta cheese, of olives, and of pink Lebanese pickles, plus huge sacks of dried fruits and nuts were the mainstays back then, and still are today (the nuts are roasted in a…Brooklyn
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Saks Fifth Avenue
Despite the fact that it’s now a chain, there’s still definite glamour to the original Saks. It’s a classic, and unlike Macy’s, its size is manageable. As for its prices . . . . They may not be within the realm for many people, but browsing here is a delight and the cosmetics…Midtown East
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Fashion
Saks Off Fifth
An outlet of the famous department store, it is in a basement space, so a bit grim-looking, but the bargains are real, featuring such designers as Diane von Furstenberg, BCBGMaxAzria, and Vince. (In fact, I found prices to be far better, often for the exact same merchandise, than…Midtown East
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Gifts
Showfields
Commerce is given the art gallery treatment at this new-style mall. White, formerly industrial, and spanning three floors, the space is divided into small walled in “show-nooks” for different products—gravity blankets, the “first subscription electronic toothbrush service”, Mother’s…Noho
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The Apple Store
That humongous glass cube across from the Plaza Hotel is actually the biggest Apple Store in the world (at 18,000 square feet). It opened in early 2006, and only closed when Hurricane Sandy shuttered the entire city (it’s open 24/7). Along with the genius bar is a 46-seat theater and…Multiple Locations
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Toys
The Lego Store
A creative toy, Lego has spawned creative stores where patrons can not only buy Lego sets of all sorts (Star Wars, dollhouses, Spiderman, and more) but play to their heart’s content. Along with boxed sets are huge bins of different Legos, which shoppers can scoop into buckets to…Midtown West
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Gifts
The Museum of Art and Design Store
It’s not easy to get a New Yorker’s attention, but this museum has done that consistently, and is one of the few museums in town where you’ll see more locals than visitors. It draws them in with creative, sometimes wacky, exhibitions on design. One, for example, highlighted the pins…Midtown West
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Bookstores
The Mysterious Bookshop
Another specialty book dealer; do you need a clue as to what’s sold here? Didn’t think so. The store has both antique and current mystery novels, as well as a club for collectors.Tribeca
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Malls
The Shops at Hudson Yards
A marble-clad, four-level, 720,000-square-foot behemoth that has the ambiance of a high-end Asian shopping mall, The Shops at Hudson yards hosts 100-plus shops. About half the tenants are luxury brands (Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Dior), the other half are budge to midrange brands like…Hudson Yards
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Bookstores
The Strand
Grungy, maddeningly disorganized, stuffy and crowded, the Strand is nonetheless one of New York’s premier bookstores, a place that rivals the legendary “Library at Alexandria” in its scope and variety. Its motto is “Eight Miles of Books,” and it certainly feels like it has that many…Union Square Area
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Jewelry
Tiffany & Co.
This is the original, and whether or not you decide to pose in front of it nibbling a croissant, you’ll enjoy visiting the elegant, multilevel store. Its goods range well beyond jewelry, by the way; many brides register here for fabulous tableware and stemware. Happily, everything…Midtown West
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Shoes
Tip Top Shoes
Here’s where you come when your feet start complaining about all the walking you’ve been doing in NYC. Tip Top specializes in shoes that are comfortable, but don’t look nerdy. And the prices aren’t bad at all. A full selection for both men and women.Upper West Side
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Antiques
Todd Merrill
Merrill is both a store owner and the co-author of a seminal design history book, Modern Americana. Well before Mad Men hit the airwaves, he was stoking the craze for Mid-Century Modern furnishings. Merrill now also makes custom contemporary furniture that’s pretty darn snazzy.Tribeca
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Jewelry
Tourneau Time Machine
Welcome to the world’s largest watch store, giving the lie to the idea that nobody wears watches anymore. Somebody must be buying the 8,000 different styles that come from about 100 brands and are displayed here with a dazzle that’s noteworthy!Midtown East
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Toys
Toy Tokyo
Be careful! People walk into this store and end up buying far more than they expected, from tiny “jewels” in the shape of anime figures to adorn smartphones (they are plugged into the hole atop), to Miss Kitty and/or Star Wars and/or Godzilla—well, everything. The store is catnip for…East Village
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Wines & Liquors
Union Square Wines and Spirits
Now, we're not suggesting you come here to get a buzz on, but it is a heckuva lot of fun to do your own wine tasting at the enomatic machines in the glassed in room at the center of Union Square Wines. You'll need to get a pre-paid plastic card from the cashier, and then, you're off!…Union Square Area
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Fashion
Uniqlo
The Fifth Avenue outlet is the chain’s flagship and the largest Uniqlo on the planet. Garments (and undergarments) here are among the least expensive in the city. Not only that, they come in quality fabrics, in a wide range of styles from streamlined basics (T-shirts, good wool…Midtown West
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Fashion
Vera Wang
The powerhouse designer is still the big name in bridal fashions, though she has expanded into other fields of fashion. Vera dresses many celebrities (particularly petite ones with great figures) for their weddings and award shows in her simple, elegant designs. Vera’s bridal studio… -
Kitchenware
Whisk
The best kitchenware store in the city, it has every gadget, pot, and pan you’d ever need--and plenty you didn’t know you needed until you walked in.Brooklyn
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Food
Zabar’s
Featured in films by Woody Allen, this is New York’s most famous grocery/deli, an iconic New York emporium, but one that has—to my mind—declined a bit in recent years. I wouldn’t make a special visit to see it, but if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by for a bit of lox or the famed…Upper West Side
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Gifts
Zee Dog
Dude up your pooch at this Brazilian store, the first of its kind in the U.S., where the chew toys are shaped like coy Martians, collars have hip shark or cactus patterns (and detachable bow ties), and leashes have a smart spring built in as a shock absorber, protecting your wrists…Soho
New York City Nightlife
New York is famous for its jazz clubs, including Blue Note in Greenwich Village. The Meatpacking District has stylish bars and clubs like Cielo. The eclectic entertainment in the East Village includes lively poetry at Nuyorican Poet's Cafe. Don't forget the suburbs: Brooklyn has orchestras and operas at Brookly ...
New York is famous for its jazz clubs, including Blue Note in Greenwich Village. The Meatpacking District has stylish bars and clubs like Cielo. The eclectic entertainment in the East Village includes lively poetry at Nuyorican Poet's Cafe. Don't forget the suburbs: Brooklyn has orchestras and operas at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Bars and clubs are open late – always tip the bartender.
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Nightlife
67 Orange Street
Named for the address of the first black-owned bar in the city (it’s confusing, I know, as this isn’t on “Orange Street”), this tiny, super-hip cocktail haven serves up creative libations, often made with home infused liquors (I had an excellent Manhattan made with cigar-smoke… -
Wine bar
Aldo Sohm Wine Bar
Don’t gasp aloud, as I did, when you see the $70 glass of wine on the menu (welcome to Manhattan kiddies!). Scan down and you’ll see that there are also $11 glasses on offer, and the staff are too genteel here to look down their decanters at you if you go for the cheaper option.…Times Square & Midtown West
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Dance Clubs
All Night Skate
First things first: there’s no skating here. But there is a ton of nostalgia for the era when folks did go “skate dancing” at this diner-themed club, complete with a black light mural, disco ball, and juke box (though most end up dancing to the tunes the DJ spins). If you get peckish… -
The Performing Arts
American Ballet Theater
ABT features more of an emphasis on story ballets than the New York City Ballet does—Coppélia, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty—and tends to produce more bravura stars than NYCB (where the emphasis is on ensemble work). Misty Copeland (see above), the United States’ first Black prima…Upper West Side
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Bar
Anejo Tequilleria
In the mood for a margarita? You can’t do better than at this salsa-happy, roadhouse-style bar. It stocks more than two-dozen unusual tequilas, along with mezcals, and other Mexican distilled liquors, which the skillful bartenders combine into well-integrated drinks of all sorts. The…Midtown West
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The Club & Music Scene
Apollo Theater
To me, it’s a thrill just to walk past the collage of all of the greats who’ve played here and then take a seat in this lovely, surprisingly intimate theater (built in 1914, it looks much bigger on TV). Perhaps most famous for launching the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha… -
Bar
Apotheke
This swank speakeasy takes its inspiration from classic apothecaries, so behind the imported Carrera marble bar are antique medicine bottles and test tubes—just for show. But herbs, medicinal and otherwise, are incorporated in many of the innovative cocktails here, as are other… -
The Club & Music Scene
Arlene’s Grocery
The longest-running music club on the Lower East Side—the Strokes were discovered here—Arlene’s Grocery looks like a typical neighborhood bodega from the outside (hence the name). Inside, there’s a spacious bar with cozy seating nooks towards the back; and a lower-level club, with a… -
The Club & Music Scene
Baby's All Right
The rare live-music venue with more-than-decent food and a space that doesn’t seem too grungy to eat it in, Baby’s All Right is the epitome of the Williamsburg scene: maybe a little too cool for school, but overall on-trend and friendly. Plus the booker has real talent for bringing… -
Bar
Bar Goto
Named for owner Kenta Goto, formerly of the iconic Pegu Club (see p.###), this sophisticated drinkery puts a Japanese spin on its décor, cocktails, and snacks. That means liquors mixed with green tea powder, miso, a topping of marshmallow, or a shochu and sake, served in a woodsy,… -
Performing Arts Venue
Bargemusic
This small theater (125 seats), set on an actual barge, moored near the Brooklyn Bridge, has big views of the Manhattan skyline and acoustics to die for. Pianissimos are more piano here and fortissimos molto-loud, even when played by a solo piano or string quartet. This is one of the… -
The Club & Music Scene
Beacon Theatre
They really knew how to build theaters back in the 1920s: Every seat at this Art Deco landmark has a good view, and the acoustics are remarkable. Which may be why this is such a favorite of the touring bands who make this their New York home. While you won’t get the mega-names, you…Upper West Side
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Bar
Bemelman’s Bar
Put on the ritz at this iconic bar, decorated with murals by Ludwig Bemelman, the illustrator behind the famous “Madeline” children’s books. How plush is it? The ceiling is covered by 24-karat gold leaf, and the bar is made of a rare black granite. Live jazz plays as you tipple, to…Upper East Side
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Jazz Clubs
Bill’s Place
A real, honest-to-goodness speakeasy—patrons even have to bring their own booze—this tiny club was started in 2005 in the same historic Harlem brownstone where Billie Holiday was discovered (singing in a previous club there at the age of 17). It’s a tiny place, so reservations are… -
Jazz Clubs
Birdland
Birdland is the second-grandest dedicated facility in the city for jazz, after Jazz at Lincoln Center (also reviewed on this website). The huge, 4,000-square-foot amphitheater has dignified gray carpets covering both the floors and walls, and is decorated throughout with… -
Nightlife
Birreria
; it’s part of that eating group). When the weather is nice, the retractable ceiling is pulled back to reveal the sky, a rarity in New York nightlife. Home-brewed, unfiltered, naturally carbonated cask ales (you’ll see the massive vats as you enter) are part of the appeal, though you… -
The Club & Music Scene
Bitter End
Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie, Melissa Manchester . . . all of the big names of the [’]60s and [’]70s played The Bitter End, and the club still has the posters to prove it, so old they can’t really be called “yellowing,” they’re now a permanent deep woodsy brown. This is no…Greenwich Village
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Jazz Clubs
Blue Note
The Blue Note has the most corporate feel of all the clubs (perhaps because it’s now a chain, with four clubs in Japan and one in Italy). Tables are jammed together, the bar area is even more crowded, and the second floor is given over to a huge souvenir stand of such kitschy items…Greenwich Village
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Beer Gardens
Bohemian Hall Beer Garden
For over 100 years, this has been the go-to party place for residents of the borough of Queens in summer. Oom-pah music (and, on some nights, pop) is the soundtrack, 16 varieties of craft beers are on tap and the food is authentically Czech.Astoria, Queens
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Bar
Book Club Bar
In the front is a long bar, in the back dozens of bookshelves with titles for sale, but this railroad space is marked throughout by a joyous bookishness. It seems like half the folks sitting at the bar are alone, scribbling into their journals in between sips; in the back,… -
The Club & Music Scene
Bowery Ballroom
Run by the same people behind the Mercury Lounge, the Bowery is bigger, accommodating a crowd of 500 or so. Plus the higher stage means way better sightlines. The sound couldn’t be better, and Art Deco details give the place a sophistication that doesn’t come easy to… -
Gay & Lesbian Bars
Boxers
Yes, that’s the outfit the bartender was wearing the night I visited, but the name of the joint also refers to the fact that this is a sports bar, with 11 massive TVs lining the walls, and huge photos of rippled men engaged in all sorts of games on the walls. Hell’s Kitchen is the…Times Square & Midtown West
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Bar
Broken Shaker
Set on the block-wide roof of the Freehand Hotel, this bar offers a grand variety of outdoor and indoor spaces in which to play. There are tables for two along a narrow balcony, each with a nice amount of privacy; big areas for big parties; and two indoor tiki-decorated bars. All… -
Performing Arts Venue
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Located outside of Manhattan, BAM hosts film, dance, opera, performance art, theater and music concerts of all sorts. It may well be the best place in the United States for challenging, inventive, and acclaimed international productions. It’s at BAM where you’ll see highbrow theater…Brooklyn
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The Club & Music Scene
Brooklyn Bowl
Yes, it’s a bowling alley, but you don’t have to hit the pins to have a delightful night out here. A massive space with an updated carny decor, and a wide selection of beers, cocktails, and food, this is a great place just to come and hang out. Live DJ’s spin catchy music on the…Brooklyn
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Brooklyn Mirage
Guitars are rarely strummed here. Instead, EDM and Techno fans cram this arena to hear some of the world’s most talented DJ’s create music electronically. Yes, there’s some dancing, but most who come here consider this a concert experience. The open-air venue is part of the massive… -
Bars & Pubs
Caffe Dante
In the 1920’s and 30’s, Dante’s Café was where struggling artists gathered for a cheap cuppa joe and conversation. The place looks the same today, but conversation isn’t possible, thanks to a blaring indie soundtrack and dense crowds. But you may not mind after tasting the…Greenwich Village
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Dance Clubs
Café Balearica
Far more intimate than the other dance clubs on this site, this little club debuted features talented, young DJ’s getting the groove on in the disco ball-lit basement dance space. The ground floor is a bar, with window seating, and a mural evocative of yes, the islands of Spain. It’s… -
Cabaret
Café Carlyle
You come here for the big stars of the cabaret world: Lisa Loeb, Chita Rivera Megan Hilty and the like. So the shows are terrific, the setting elegant, but being in this rarified atmosphere will be pricey: Admission ranges from $90 to $140, plus a drink minimum. Value-minded cabaret…Upper East Side
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Gay & Lesbian Bars
Candle Bar
Possibly the oldest, continuously operated gay bar in the city (opinions differ, but that’s what patrons here claim), this is a proud, old-fashioned dive, down to the Donkey Kong machine in the corner, right next to the pool table. “This is where everybody doesn’t quite know your…Upper West Side
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Performing Arts Venue
Carnegie Hall
More than 100 years ago, Tchaikovsky himself presided over the opening performance of Carnegie Hall, just one of a legion of great musicians who have graced this famous stage. Today, you’ll sometimes see such stars as Anne Sophie-Mutter, Elvis Costello, The Berliner Philharmoniker,…Midtown West
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Comedy Clubs
Caveat
Not your typical comedy club, here brains are lubricated along with gullets. Every night different experts are brought in to present serious information—on science, history, political science, and more—in a playful fashion. So that might mean a battle between two teams trying to… -
Performing Arts Venue
City Center
Alvin Ailey, the American Ballet Theater, and Paul Taylor perform here, along with other major dance companies. You’ll understand why, once you’ve attended a show in this splendid, Moorish-revival space (formerly a temple). In the basement are the stages of the excellent Manhattan…Midtown West
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Wine bar
City Vineyard
Believe it or not, wine is actually made here, right in the heart of Manhattan. You’ll try a cup . . . or three . . . while gazing out at the river from the roof deck or the grapevine draped patio (on Pier 26). Inside are three stages for live music from such long-time favorites as… -
Comedy Clubs
Comedy Cellar
When Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Ray Romano and other equally famous, New York-based comedians decide to “try out” material in front of an audience, they usually drop into this basement room in the Village. On nights when these “biggies” don’t make an appearance (and their sets… -
Gay/lesbian
Cubby Hole
Early in the evening, The Cubby Hole gets a mixed crowd from the neighborhood of men and even straight women, but by 11pm it’s strictly “lipstick lesbians” and club girls rocking out to the jukebox. It’s a fun scene and the decor is hilarious, with literally hundreds of paper animals…Greenwich Village
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Bars & Pubs
Darling
The scene can get a bit, well, snotty here. You see, this is the only bar in Manhattan—with the exception of the one that blooms in the summer on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum —that gets close-up Central Park views, meaning the Richie Riches that live in the neighborhood decamp… -
Bar
Dear Irving
Welcome to Austin Power’s favorite bar! With its curtains of plastic pearls, velvet couches, and silver bucket seats, this place is groovy, baby. But since the mixology here is so accomplished, the music is kept at conversation level, and the doorkeeper doesn’t let in more people… -
Bar
Death & Company
The cocktails here are as colorfully named as the bar itself—like the “Scallywag” which mixes five different types of rum (including a 75-year-old one) with two types of bitters, vanilla syrup, and “demarar” syrup; or the perfectly balanced “Mortal Enemy”, which blends Dorothy Parker…East Village
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Bars & Pubs
Decibel
A gritty, underground sake bar, Decibel has become a center of social life for many of the ex-pat Japanese living in New York City. In fact, most of the clientele are Japanese, the soundtrack is Japanese rock, and the bar food can be exotic (dried squid, anyone?). But all are…East Village
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The Club & Music Scene
Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
Part of the fabulous Jazz at Lincoln Center (in the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle), Dizzy's may well be one of the most glam places on the planet to listen to jazz. Huge windows overlooking Central Park serve as a backdrop to the musicians, and the crowd that comes are just… -
Cabaret
Don’t Tell Mama
As long as you don’t mistake this place for a restaurant (the food is overpriced and underwhelming), you’ll have a swell time at this long-established theater district piano bar. Everyone here sings—the pianist, the bartenders, the waiters, the bus boys—and since most are aspiring… -
Pub
Dublin House
NYC doesn't have many of this kind of old-fashioned, plain-as-porridge Irish pubs anymore. Started as an illegal speakeasy in 1921 (have the same bartenders been here all that time? It seems like a possibility) this is a welcoming neighborhood bar where shots of whiskey are about as… -
Bar
Dutch Kills
Venturing beyond the Manhattan and Brooklyn nightlife scene gets you two rewards: lower booze prices and far more room to spread out. That’s particularly true at Dutch Kills out in Queens, where the masterful bartending is better than you’ll find at most of the city’s boîtes (just… -
Bars & Pubs
Ear Inn
The Ear Inn is set in one of the oldest buildings on the isle of Manhattan: a gable-roofed, two-story Federal Townhouse built by African American Revolutionary War hero James Brown in 1817. It got its current name when the “B” on the neon side outside went on the fritz. Today, this…Soho
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Bar
Employees Only
The place to come if you take your cocktails seriously. A crack staff of veteran bartenders man the place, squeezing their own juices daily and infusing liquors with interesting additions, such as lavender (in the gin) and herbes de Provence (in the vermouth), which they then mix…Greenwich Village
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Cabaret
Feinstein's/54 Below
Relatively new on the scene, and, yes, underground on 54th Street, this is Broadway’s cabaret. What that means is the vast majority of performers are playing hooky from their real jobs at the big Broadway houses nearby. They’re often trying out new material, giving the shows a…Midtown West
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Gay & Lesbian Bars
Flaming Saddles Saloon
Yeehaw! Welcome to “Coyote Ugly” for gay men (and the many women who show up to watch the hot, shirtless bartenders hoof it on top of the bar every 40 minutes or so). The soundtrack is country western and the mood exuberant.Times Square & Midtown West
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Bar
Flatiron Room--Murray Hill
Like its sibling further downtown this venue resembles a swellegant supper club from the 1950s, with tufted leather tiered booths, crackling fireplace, and Art Deco stage. It has a robust calendar of live jazz that accompanies the drinking with no music fee; and a cellar bursting… -
Comedy Clubs
Gotham Comedy Club
With more elbow room and a booker who picks the “cleaner” comics, Gotham tends to get an older, more sophisticated crowd than the other clubs. And sometimes the talent can be stellar. Tuesday is set aside for new talent, and gay and lesbian comics take the stage Wednesdays at Homo…Chelsea
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Gay/lesbian
Henrietta Hudson
Dominated by a large pool table (always in use) in the center room and two bars, this divey bar hosts dancing many nights and seems especially popular among Latina and African-American women. See the website for special theme nights (Wednesdays is Salsa Night).Tribeca
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Dance Clubs
House of Yes
Originally an artistic commune that threw house parties, this wildly creative, often psychedelic “temple of expression” (their apt term) is now devoted almost exclusively to events. Nights here are fueled by DJ’s, dancing, and performances (circus skills, burlesque, drag, and dance),… -
Bars & Pubs
Hudson Malone
Revenge is a well-mixed martini served chilled, to a crowd that will follow you anywhere. When charismatic bartender Doug Quinn was fired from his job of over a decade at the iconic midtown saloon P.J.Clarks, he didn’t slink away, he opened his own tavern just two blocks away. Today,…Midtown East
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Gay & Lesbian Bars
Hush
★★[em]A two-floor party that’s proudly “sex positive” meaning there are often hard core films on the screens here. Downstairs is a bar with a busy after work scene. Upstairs is for dancing, and lots of shows from drag contests to watch parties to comedy shows. -
Jazz Clubs
Jazz Standard
Boasting a sophisticated retro-speak-easy vibe, the Jazz Standard is one of the city’s largest jazz clubs, with well-spaced tables seating 150. The rule is straightforward, mainstream jazz by new and established musicians, including amazing artists and the occasional big name like… -
Nightclub
Joe’s Pub
It’s hard to classify just what Joe’s Pub is, beyond a very handsome space, in a landmark building, that hosts performances, and serves strong cocktails and pub food. Its show roster is so all over the map that one can’t really say “this is a world music club” or “this is a cabaret,”…East Village
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Performing Arts Venue
Joyce Theater
The blockbuster modern dance shows tend to play the Joyce, and it’s not hard to see why: It’s simply the best space in the city to see dance—there’s not a bad seat in the house. In this renovated, Art Deco–era movie theater, the audience sits slightly above the dancers, meaning that… -
Bar
Kavasutra
★[em]Proof positive that you can find anything in New York City, this narrow, bar-counter-only space serves kava and kratum, liquids (not liquors) with psychotropic properties, derived from the roots of Polynesian trees. Kava has a more “body-centric” high, giving users a deep sense… -
Bars & Pubs
Keys and Heels
The Upper East Side’s version of a speakeasy is set behind a faux locksmith and shoe repair shop—it’s a cute conceit. Inside it’s a bit of a frat party with the DJ going full retro (lots of Madonna and Michael Jackson), and the drinks served, sadly, at room temperature. Still the… -
Bar
Mace
Spices are the stars of the cocktails here, which sounds like a bad gimmick but leads to some wonderfully ingenious drinks. The delightful Frankincense, for example, comes with a head of smoke infused with that spice, and a vanilla-tinged bourbon. The Oregano is a play on a Bloody… -
Bar
Maison Premier
Channeling the spirit of New Orleans—think Garden District not Bourbon Street—this oyster and cocktail bar is a wonderfully elegant place to while away an evening. And while you don’t have to pay homage to the “green fairy” to hang here, it is interesting to take a gander at the…Brooklyn
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Gay & Lesbian Bars
Marie’s Crisis
The "Church of Show Tunes" is in joyous session seven nights a week at Marie’s Crisis, a basement piano bar that has a pedigree and an atmosphere like no other. In a low-ceilinged room, covered with Christmas lights, dozens of men (and some women) gather each evening to belt out…Greenwich Village
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Bars & Pubs
McSorely’s Old Ale House
If you’re a man’s man (which I’m obviously not), you’ll like New York’s oldest continuously operating pub (est. 1854), and one that famously kept out women until a lawsuit in 1970 ended the bigotry (it was a landmark case that ultimately outlawed discrimination in all public places…East Village
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Bars & Pubs
Melody’s Piano Bar
A clubhouse for the 1%, Melody’s has no dress code, but many of its well-heeled patrons show up in suits and heels nonetheless. You can feel the sizzle of million-dollar-deals being brokered as the jazz trio softly plays, and expensive cocktails are ferried from the bar to the… -
The Club & Music Scene
Mercury Lounge
You visit Mercury Lounge because of the talent of its booker: If there’s a band playing in and around New York City that’s on the edge of hitting it big, you’re going to hear them here. It’s just a shame that the room they have to play in isn’t more comfortable. With very few seating…Lower East Side
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Performing Arts Venue
Metropolitan Opera
Everything about attending an opera here is grand—from the entrance you’ll make past hanging Chagall murals to the world-class singers you’ll hear (such as Joyce DiDonato or Roberto Alagna) to the pomp and glitz of the productions themselves. Though recent productions have received…Upper West Side
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Bar
Mother’s Ruin
A premiere pick-up joint, with sneaky cocktails that taste less potent than they are (especially those made with the slushy machine), a genetically blessed crowd, and wonderfully tasty bar snacks—that’s Mother’s Ruin in a nutshell. If you want to hang with the beautiful people, head…NoLiTa
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The Club & Music Scene
National Sawdust
An artists' collective with a theater that looks like a Star Trek set (lots of slashed sound panels, so acoustics are excellent), programs eclectic evenings of music (jazz, classical, and otherwise). -
Dance Clubs
Nebula
This dance behemoth, built at a cost of $12 million over the pandemic, brings some of the most famous DJ’s on the planet in each weekend pump the bass in this high-ceilinged, 10,000 square-foot space, which is spread over three levels. The main dance floor (5000 square feet) features… -
Performing Arts Venue
New York City Ballet
NYCB was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and the 20th-century’s greatest ballet choreographer, George Balanchine. And it is for Balanchine’s work that you still attend performances at the New York City Ballet; his choreography is the staple here and remains as diamond-sharp, elegant, and… -
Performing Arts Venue
New York Live Arts
Programmed by artistic director Bill T. Jones, and home to the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, NYLA is hipper and smaller than the other dance venues in town. You’ll see top talent here, beyond the members of the resident company (who are terrific), with an emphasis on…Chelsea
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Performing Arts Venue
New York Philharmonic
Wunderkind conductor Gustavo Dudamel, formally of the the Los Angeles Philharmonic will begin his tenure as conductor during the 2025/2026 season—and classical music fans are ecstatic. The Philharmonic has become known in recent years for programming an eclectic mix of classic…Upper West Side
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Bar
Nothing Really Matters
For those New Yorkers whose subway commute is driving them to drink, this new-in-2022 underground bar opened just beyond the turnstiles in the 50th street and Broadway subway station. It’s a startlingly chic cocktail den, especially since you enter it down a set of detritus-strewn… -
Bars & Pubs
Old Town Bar
People have been tippling here since 1892 and that includes during Prohibition; if you check under the seats in the high-backed booths, you’ll see the hiding spaces for bottles. The appeal of Old Town is easy to see: with its 14-foot-ceilings, its memorabilia-laden walls, and its…Union Square area
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Bars & Pubs
Ophelia Lounge
New York City rediscovered its verticality in recent years. A slew of new bars and restaurants opened on the top floors of some of the city’s most venerable skyscrapers, like this neo-Gothic gem, built in 1928, dramatically rising like a set piece in a Noah Baumbach comedy. Ophelia… -
Bar
PDT
The name stands for “Please Don’t Tell” and is meant to speak to the exclusivity of this bar, which hides in the back of a hot dog stand (you enter through a hidden door in the old-fashioned phone booth—no, really!); and requires a reservation. The owners say it’s because they don’t…East Village
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Performing Arts Venue
Park Avenue Armory
This colossal former military space, with a 55,000-square-foot drill hall at its core, has made a name for itself in recent years for the prestige, scope (often huuuge), and quirkiness of the shows it has produced and/or brought in from all corners of the globe. They’ve included an… -
Bar
Patent Pending
Hidden behind what is a coffee bar during the day, this was midtown’s first truly successful speakeasy (it’s now been joined by Nothing Really Matters). It feels like a secret and looks like a movie-set ideal of a cool, exclusive Manhattan bar—brick walls, dim Edison-style bulbs… -
Dance Clubs
Paul’s Casablanca
That “Paul” would be Paul Sevigny, brother of the movie star Chloe Sevigny, and as you can also guess from the name, the décor is Moroccan. Getting in here feels harder than winning the lottery many nights, but when you do you’ll be surrounded by the city’s glitterati, a collection… -
Bars & Pubs
Pete’s Candy Store
It seems appropriate that grown-up games should be the focus of a bar in a former candy store. You come here if you love pub quizzes, spelling bees, and other contests of the beer-buzzed-brain. Pete’s also hosts lectures and live music, making this little neighborhood joint a primo… -
Bar
Porchlight
This is where conventioneers re-congregate, after enduring hours at the Javits Center. Happily, the dim, golden hued lighting is recuperative after the glare of the convention hall, the drinks are strong and tasty, and the vibe takes its cues from the American south (it feels like a… -
Bar
Pravda
Vodka is Czar at this Russian-themed basement lounge, which serves 21 different brands from all parts of the potato-distilling world (cheers, Moldova!). You sling them back in a curved-ceiling cellar alongside cyrillac signs posted on the walls and surrounded by chic Soho-types…Soho
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Bar
Prohibition
A neighborhood bar, with a pool table in the back room, and live music every night of the week (usually funk or R&B). The staff is friendly, as are the patrons, and the Prohibition-era style murals and decor hit just the right note. This really fun joint attracts a crowd that…Upper West Side
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Bar
Pulqueria
It makes no sense, but NYC’s coolest Mexican bar is in a basement in the heart of Chinatown. Descend the staircase and suddenly you’re in a space that looks like it might have been part of an ancient Mayan complex…but back when the Mayans weren’t ancient (woven reed ceilings, rough…Chinatown
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Rockwood Music Hall
This is one of the few remaining independent music venues left in the city, which means that if it doesn’t please the public with its choice of artists, its gone. No money is going to come raining in from the mothership. With that pressure, the bookers here have become expert at… -
The Club & Music Scene
Rockwood Music Hall
A fun, smaller place (but with two stages you can move between), it features good funk music, country rock, and up-and-coming local artists. Low key, inexpensive, and cool.Lower East Side
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The Club & Music Scene
Rough Trade
Like its "mothership", a London institution since the punk era, Rough Trade is an actual record store (yes, vinyl!) that doubles as a concert venue. Its performance space is intimate (with room for just 300), which all but guarantees good sightlines; the sound system is primo, and… -
Bars & Pubs
Royal Palm Shuffleboard Club
The kitsch quotient is high at this island-themed club at which, yes, shuffleboard is actually played. You’ll pay $50 for your crew to rent a court for an hour; drinks from the bar—tropical cocktails, beer or wine—are extra. Like bowling, shuffleboard lends itself quite nicely to an… -
Bar
Russian Samovar
Infused vodkas are the draw here (my favorite is the dill), which you sample carefully, as they serve them straight. I’m also a big fan of the borscht; it somehow makes a lovely side to the tipples (or a pre-theater meal). Many nights, a live pianist will be accompanying your… -
The Club & Music Scene
S.O.B.’s
Formerly a world music venue, today S.O.B.'s mostly gets second tier acts across all genres.Greenwich Village
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Bar
Shrine
Just scruffy enough to feel real, but with high ceilings that keep any divyness at bay, Shrine is just the type of place you’d hope to find in Harlem. There’s live music most nights, the décor is funky (a mix of old record covers on the ceilings and walls, and African statues in… -
Bar
Sidney’s Five
This Pandemic-born bar (it opened in late 2021) gets so much right, it’s hard to know where to begin. The eclectic mix of music will likely introduce you to new, toe tapping artists. Cocktails are well priced and well mixed. The bar food served is among the best in the city (try the… -
Jazz Clubs
Smoke
Going strong for almost 15 years, Smoke is an intimate, classy spot to hear jazz. Such mainstays as Mike LeDonne and Eric Alexander—they helped launch the place—still make it their home for regular gigs. www.smokejazz.com. Subway: 1 to 103rd St. -
Dance Clubs
Swing 46
Gotham’s active swing dance community supports this wonderful supper club (though you can come to dance without eating), which means there’s live music here six nights a week (Mondays a DJ takes over) and locals Lindy Hop, jitterbug, waltz, and freestyle well into the wee hours.…Times Square & Midtown West
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Performing Arts Venue
Symphony Space
For many years this has been where the National Public Radio Show "Selected Shorts" taped. But that’s just the beginning of the offerings at this always-busy theater. It also hosts yearly readings of James Joyce’s Ulysees, dance performances, world music concerts, and a wonderful…Upper West Side
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Cabaret
Tatiana
Acrobats! Showgirls! Crooners! Tatiana is a Las Vegas-meets-Vladivostok experience, a Russian supper club where the meal is an endless feast (of Russian and Continental foods), the vodka flows freely and ex-pat Russians of all ages boogey until dawn. It’s not cheap, but going here…Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
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Bar
The Back Room
One of the only two speakeasys that still operate where they did back in the Prohibition era, this one is an adventure to find. First, look for the address, but when you see it, double back to the unmarked stairway that goes into a dark alley. Go down the steps and walk through the… -
The Box
New York nightlife at its raunchiest, the Box is a Belle Epoque-styled bar/theater, with a Gen Y mentality. Guests arrive around midnight for drinking, dancing and mingling; a burlesque show starts at 1am, always featuring topless dancers and usually some kind of oddball magician,…Lower East Side
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Bar
The Campbell Apartment
Hidden on the balcony level of Grand Central Station, the Campbell was once the private office of railroad magnate John Williams Campbell, a man who clearly had no self-esteem problems. The rooms is as grand as any created by Italy’s Medici family, with a soaring, coffered ceiling,…Midtown East
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Bars & Pubs
The Dead Rabbit
Just the type of bar you’d hope to find in the historic Financial District, Dead Rabbit is housed in an 1884 building and handsomely cluttered with relics of bygone eras: numerous black and white photos on the beams, gay ‘90’s knick-knacks, even trinkets from the set of the movie…Financial District
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Gay & Lesbian Bars
The Eagle
For “bears,” “cubs,” and the boys who love them, this dungeon-like club is the epicenter of the leather scene in New York. Forgot your chaps? Not a problem—the Eagle has a tiny “leather goods” store in the elevator for all your codpiece and whipping needs. (There’s also a quite…Chelsea
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Bar
The Frying Pan
A historic floating lighthouse turned bar, the Frying Pan is permanently docked at Pier 66, which can be accessed at 26th Street off the West Side highway. This is not a place for people who get seasick, as you’ll bob up and down as you drink and eat, but the views of the other boats…Chelsea
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Bars & Pubs
The Honey Well
The rec room in your parent’s, or grandparent’s, basement is playfully evoked at this sepia-toned bar, where the soundtrack is '70’s funk, bar snacks are homey (like spinach dip with Ritz crackers and Chex mix), and a large poster of Tom Selleck leers down in the bathroom. My guess… -
Jazz Clubs
The Jazz Gallery
Where worker bees once toiled, trumpets now sound! This two-room venue was crafted from converted office space and it draws the city’s jazz luminaries not only to the stage, but into the audience (this is where city’s musicians come when they want to hear great music). Paying it… -
Gay & Lesbian Bars
The Monster
A fabulous Art Deco space, once home to El Chico (a former flamenco cabaret whose murals still adorn the walls), The Monster has two faces. Upstairs is a piano bar with a crowd of show-tune-crazy regulars; downstairs a groovy discothèque with go-go boys, weekend tea dances, and the…Greenwich Village
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Bar
The Rum House
You don’t expect to find a place that’s both this hip and this unpretentious right in the heart of Times Square, but here it is. Re-opened in 2011 in the Edison Hotel, this classic, old-time watering hole serves up a mean cocktail and decent bar food. On some nights, a live pianist…Times Square
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Wine bar
The Ten Bells
You become 10 times cooler just by walking into this sexy, very European bar that seems entirely candle-lit (though it’s not) and has an extraordinary selection of wines and sherries by the glass, from small producers across Europe and the U.S. The seemingly all-French waitstaff will… -
Jazz Clubs
The Village Vanguard
Though it turned 75 years old in 2010, The Village Vanguard still has the youngest spirit of any of the jazz clubs in town, consistently featuring the best of the new talents and cutting-edge jazz. It also looks the most like a jazz club should look, to my mind. You enter a red door…Greenwich Village
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Bars & Pubs
Walker’s
Part sports bar (four TVs flank the walls, and football helmets grace the bar) and part nostalgia trip, thanks to the vintage posters on the wall and the pressed tin ceiling, this is the least pretentious place in the [‘]hood to down a brewsky and a burger. Friendly, not too pricey:…Tribeca
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Bar
Yours Sincerely
“We serve craft cocktails at a dive-bar price,” the bartender told me, when I marveled at how (relatively) cheap the potables were here at this Bushwick bar (starting at $11 for a cocktail!). Here’s their secret: all of the cocktails are mixed before the bar opens, put into… -
Bar
Zombie Hut
Tiki time! This tropical bar is not only the best antidote to NYC’s sometimes frigid weather, it serves up affordable tipples to a mellow soundtrack (lots of Bob Marley) in a classic woven-grass and carved mask setting. An array of loaner board games keep the crowd entertained, as…Brooklyn
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Beer Gardens
Zum Schneider
Ignore the views of the New York cityscape from the large plate-glass windows here and you could be in a beer hall off some gritty side street in Munich. The beers pack as much of a punch (be careful, unusual German beers such as Kolsch have a higher alcohol content than you may be…East Village
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