Things to do

In the city that never sleeps, you are guaranteed to find something to do at any time of any day!

Museums

Metropolitan Museum of Art
American Museum of Natural History
Museum of Modern Art
9/11 Memorial and Museum
Museum of Jewish Heritage
Ellis Island Museum
MoMA PS1
Guggenheim Museum
Studio Museum in Harlem
Whitney Museum of American Art
Noguchi Museum
Cloisters Museum & Gardens
Brooklyn Museum
Museum of Sex
Brooklyn's Children Museum
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Museum at FIT
New York Historical Society
Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
New York Transit Museum
Frick Collection

*Some museums offer free or discounted entry on certain days, so definitely look it up before you go!

Landmarks

Empire State Building: Make sure to visit the observation deck for a killer view!
Brooklyn Bridge: Take a walk from one borough to the other and take in the views of Manhattan and Brooklyn
Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty
Rockefeller Center: Be sure to check out the Christmas tree in the winter and go ice skating in the plaza
City Hall
One World Trade Center
Times Square: Stand in the middle of this bustling city center and take in the energy, lights, and sights
Flatiron Building
Radio City Music Hall: Great entertainment venue and home to the Rockettes in the winter
Chrysler Builder
Grand Central Terminal & Grand Central Station
New York Public Library
Apollo Theatre
New York Stock Exchange & Federal Reserve Bank
Seagram Building
Coney Island
United Nations
Lincoln Center

Parks and Nature

Central Park: The park of all parks! You could easily spend an entire day here and forget the city.
High Line: From Chelsea to Meatpacking District, this beautifully converted train track is now an urban park that allows visitors to walk through and enjoy views of the city and Hudson River.
Bronx Zoo: The largest metropolitan zoo in the US and home to more than 4,000 animals
Hudson River Park: A great, more quiet park in the Upper West Side to hang around
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Bridge Park
New York Aquarium
Battery Park
Bryant Park: Surrounded by skyscrapers and iconic landmarks, it is a great place to hang out or grab a bite to eat
East River State Park
Governors Island: Open to the public from May to October
Hudson River Park: Just 5 miles up from Battery Park and boasting views of the Hudson and New Jersey
New York Botanical Garden
Washington Square Park
Union Square Park and Greenmarket

Sports

Yankee Stadium: Home to the New York Yankees
MetLife Stadium: Home to the New York Giants and the New York Jets
Madison Square Garden: Home to the New York Knicks and New York Rangers
Citi Field: Home to the New York Mets
Barclays Center: Home to the Brooklyn Nets and New York Islanders

Entertainment

Concerts: From live music in Central Park to A-list celebrities selling out Madison Square Garden, there are places all over the city to appreciate music--free and high-end! Check out Jazz at the many jazz bars around the city or at the Lincoln Center. Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and the Apollo Theatre are two other iconic venues for shows. SummerStage is one of the most popular concerts that takes place in Central Park.
Broadway: There really is no explanation needed. Just go see a show--whether it is Broadway or Off-Broadway, you won't be disappointed
Shakespeare in the Park: Free theatre in Central Park during the summer
TV Tapings: Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Kelly & Michael, and so many more TV shows film in New York. Try to grab tickets to a taping if you can (most are free)!
Holiday Celebrations: NYC does holidays in a big way. Thanksgiving Day Parade, New Year's Eve in Times Square, July Fourth Fireworks, The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center, Chinese New Year Festival, St. Patrick's Day Parade... The list goes on and on.
Fashion Week: Takes place twice a year and is a great time to see some of the trendiest inhabitants flood the streets while running from show to show.
Restaurant Week: Also happening twice per year, it is a wonderful chance to try some of NY's most expensive restaurants for really affordable prices (sometimes $20-40 for a full course meal!)
Parades: NYC has a number of popular parades through the year in addition to the holiday celebrations. Check out Pride Parade, Puerto Rican Day Parade, Mermaid Parade, and so many more!
Film: There are dozens and dozens of theaters all over the city to catch a movie. The TriBeCa Film Festival is a key film event that happens every spring. New York Film Festival also happens each September in Lincoln Center.
Comedy: There are comedy clubs all over the city to catch a great comedy set
Opera and Ballet
Walk the High Line
See Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty
Explore Brooklyn for the day
Pick a neighborhood you like and get lost in it
Take in the architectural sites
Visit a great rooftop bar
Have brunch on the weekends
Speakeasies: NYC is loaded with unique speakeasies all over the city such as PDT or Employees Only. Find one and enjoy the signature cocktails
Take a cruise or helicopter around Manhattan
Take a walking tour: Sex and the City, Mobsters, Gossip Girl, Superhero, Shopping... You name it, NYC has a walking tour for it
Rent a Citi Bike and cruise around the city
Explore Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, or Greenwich Village
Nightlife: Just about every neighborhood (with very few exceptions) has something to do at night. Most people tend to flock downtown (Lower East Side, Meatpacking District, SoHo, East Village, West Village, and Chelsea) for fun places to go out. You are guaranteed to find anything that you want in terms of nightlife in this city, whether that's a sports bar or burlesque club.

Shopping

Chelsea Market: Stroll through to find dozens of restaurants and shops
Gansevoort Market: Mostly food stands, but amazing and unique atmosphere nonetheless
5th Avenue (and the Upper East Side in general): The most famous shopping street in the world is filled with everything from designers to discounts
Century 21: Popular discount department store in NYC
Chinatown: Unique markets and stands that you can buy anything from food to clothing items
Lower East Side and NoLita: New designers and boutiques are starting to pop up shops around these neighborhoods
SoHo: High end designers mostly fill up all of the stores that are along the cast iron buildings, with the exception of Broadway, which is mostly popular commercial retailers. There are also a lot of street vendors selling handmade goods around here
East Village: Lots of interesting boutiques that you can find anything from quirky books to designer duds
West Village and Meatpacking District: Another area that is flooded with the hottest designer names
Greenwich Village: Treelined streets that are filled with locally owned boutiques, vintage stores, and other shops, especially around Bleecker
Chelsea: Where you will find the best art galleries in town
Union Square and Flatiron District: Great to find those big-name retailers
Diamond District: Near Time Square. You'll also notice a ton of electronics stores around here
Bookstores: NYC is famous for having a ton of bookstores and kiosks along the streets. Strand Book Store is a very famous spot

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