8 Things To Do in New York City

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“The city seen for the first time, in it’s first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

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I am lucky to live within a 45-minute commute to New York City but I rarely visit. Don’t get me wrong, New York has a lot to offer everyone but the constant crush of people tends to turn me off. My recent visit to the city had me constantly envisioning hiking alone in long stretches of woods. However, there are several things I love about the city and still many other non-touristy places to check out. So, walk with me into the concrete jungle, or take a Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City and explore my 8 favorite things to do while in New York.

1. Visit the Museums

One of my favorite things to do is geek out at various museums, but my two favorites, thus far, are the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West at 79th Street New York, NY 10024-5192) and the Metropolitan (or Met). The American Museum of Natural History isn’t just for kids. It’s for geeks like me!

I absolutely love the evolution section, showing how we evolved from primates and Neanderthals, the various sections showing different megafauna from around the world and the dinosaurs (because who doesn’t love seeing dinosaur bones? I mean seriously?!).

The Metropolitan (1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028) is arguably the best art museum in North America. I love the opportunity to wander through hall after hall of ancient art and artifacts.  Though I have been spoiled with such galleries as the Uffizi gallery in Florence, home of my all-time favorite painting, “the Birth of Venus.” The Met feels like you walked into an art museum in Europe with the quality of art that can be found there.

It has an interesting feel because it’s not quite an art “gallery” and not quite a “museum” but a combination of the two, which gives you a greater insight into what I wouldn’t typically consider traditional art. However, the pieces you are going to find here will blow your mind! There are tiny little scrolls that you would roll onto paper to read from Mesopotamia. I was in absolute awe at this. These tiny little pieces of clay or stone with hand carved markings, were not only lists and letters but someone, somehow deciphered these! I mean it really makes you feel so small and makes the world seem so ancient at the same time.

My favorite sections of the Met are the ancient Rome and Greek art, the Mesopotamian artifacts and the Egyptian pieces. They have some Monet’s, Picassos, and Van Gogh’s to put the icing on the cake and they are absolutely captivating.

Both of these museums can get kind of crowded, depending on the section of the museum you are in, the time of year, and the weather outside that day, but they are both must-sees in my opinion. The other bonus, both have “suggested” amounts you should pay to see the exhibits. I love this, because it gives those who might be less fortunate the opportunity to see these wonderful treasures.

A quick word of advice, don’t buy your tickets beforehand online. You will have to pay the full “suggested fee.”

2. See a show

This isn’t really my thing, however, there are definitely a few shows worth checking out. My first experience with Broadway was the Phantom of the Opera. I wanted a classic, something I knew well, and you can get some fantastic discounts to enjoy this one. There is a ticket booth under the big set of stairs in Times Square called TKTS. We got our tickets to see Phantom for ½ price, which was a steal in my mind. The show blew me away. I laughed, I cried, and I definitely sang along.

Full disclosure, I have a thing for classics. I do not have a thing for musicals. So, it has to be special. Really the only two Broadway shows I was interested in going to see was the Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. Classics. With music we all seem to know and love for whatever reason.

Then I saw that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was coming, and lost my mind. Tickets for this one are currently set around $1000 so I may need to wait a while for this one, but it’s both 1 and 2 parts. I also have already read the book and am patiently (or impatiently) waiting, depending on how you look at it.

3. Check out a market

I have found that there are tons of fresh food markets throughout the city, but none is probably more famous than Chelsea Market (75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011). My first walk through Chelsea Market was about ½ hour before it closed and it was practically empty. This was a great way to get a feel for the place without the overwhelm of people. The next day we went back for lunch and there were so many people walking the halls that you could barely move. But the food options are fantastic and the feel is industrial mixed with historic, a great, relaxed feel.

4. Take a stroll

When we head to New York we spend more time just walking the city than anything else. But if you crave something different or a bit of greenery I recommend either the Highline or get away from the concrete by wandering Central Park.

I just experienced the Highline during my most recent trip to New York. I would recommend checking it out when everything is in full bloom, but even in the throws of winter it’s a pretty cool place. There are very unnatural and thought-provoking statues along this walk. If you are not familiar with the Highline, this is a converted railroad used as a foot path in lower Manhattan, with stops in places like Chelsea Market.

There are lots of different places to sit and read a book, people watch, have a picnic or just sun yourself along the Highline. So, if you get tired of pounding the concrete, this is a great change of scenery.

My favorite walk though is through Central Park. Of course. Anywhere I can find a green space I am all in. There are so many hidden treasures to discover in Central Park that no matter how many times you visit you will continue to stumble upon something new.  Grab a coffee and just take a random side path or sun yourself on one of the many boulders dotting the landscape.

5. Support the animals

Of course, this is an important point for me. There are some really great zoos in this area with the small and intimate Central Park Zoo and the big, internationally acclaimed Bronx Zoo. I love them both. And as a veterinarian I fully support these zoos as they do some incredible work for wildlife and endangered species.

So many people like to say they feel so bad for the animals in the cages, but for starters a large portion of these collections were born in the zoo. Secondly, would you have even known these animals existed if it wasn’t for the zoos advocating their preservation? Zoos bring awareness to the public about the issues surrounding these animals in their natural surroundings and they work hard to find new ways to preserve the species. They also have several veterinarians on staff, along with nutritionists and many keepers who work hard to provide these animals with the best lives possible.

Both of these zoos do an incredible job and seeing these animals makes me smile. So, support them and in turn you will be supporting the conservation of several species.

Ok, I will get off my soap box now.

6. Geek out at a bookstore

If you are like me, reading is one of my all-time favorite pastimes. I cannot enter a bookstore, no matter where it is, without buying a book. It’s actually a bit of a problem. I have a collection of books in my house that I stand in front of, when it’s time to pick a new book, seeing which one speaks to me at that given time.

I had read, in other posts, about some of the used books stores in New York City and decided that on this most recent visit I would check out 3 of them. I made it to one. See that’s the thing about visiting the city, you never seem to get to do all the things on your list in one visit. That’s what keeps me coming back.

Well, I made it to one used bookstore, and that was the Strand (828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003). This store boasts 18 miles of used books, including a third floor of “Rare books.” I was in love the moment I walked in. That old book smell hits your nose the second you walk through the doors, and in my mind, there is nothing that compares to that smell. Oh, and I bought 2 books while I was there.

Next time I hope to check out Rizzoli bookstore, for its Beauty and the Beast-esque feel and touted as the most beautiful bookstore in New York City and the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. The second one is made up almost entirely of volunteers with HIV/AIDS and the majority of the sales is donated to HIV/AIDS research.

7. Eat!

The food in New York City is like nothing else. There is literally anything you could want in that city if you know where to look. It doesn’t matter how many times you visit there are always new places to eat.

Somehow, I always gravitate to the feel and look of a place, and sometimes it’s just based on recommendations. So here are just a couple of suggestions, even though I know there are so many more.

Le Pain Quotidien (703 3^rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017)

This is a fantastic farm to table restaurant to go for breakfast or lunch. The food is fresh and the atmosphere is country meets industrial. There are several small tables scattered about with one long farm style table in the middle to share with new friends. We went there twice on our last trip to New York, both times for breakfast. The first time having the baked sunny side up eggs with salmon and dill and the second time I had the prosciutto, ricotta and fig tartine (without the ricotta). The tartine was a bread with prosciutto, figs, honey and pears, and for those of you that can eat dairy, it usually comes with ricotta as well. The food was so fresh and rich I had to come back for more.

Coopers Craft Chelsea (169 8^th Avenue, New York, NY 10011)

This gastropub was hopping when we arrived. It was like entering a row home packed with wooden tables, again with that country meets industrial theme and oldies rock music, like the Allman Brothers, played in the background. It was like being on a good friend’s back patio.

The craft beer list is huge, the food is fantastic and the service is out of this world. People flock to this place for a drink after work with friends, for dinner out with a loved one or like us from out of town. We shared all our food and had the beef sliders, the fish tacos, the Chicago beer sausage and the crispy brussels sprouts. I would recommend all those things, except the sausage, it was like eating a hot dog.

Xi’an Famous Foods (24 West 45^th St, New York, NY 10036)

This restaurant has 10 locations around New York. This one in particular is a small tunnel of a restaurant with a bench along the entirety of the walls with stools underneath and a first come first setting style. You dine elbow to elbow with the guy next to you but let me tell you the food was worth every penny.

The food is in the style of the owners’ home Xi’an. They serve their own style of burger, which apparently is a huge seller, but we went for the hand ripped noodles and were not disappointed. You are given a heaping portion of noodles combined with an option of sauces and toppings, such as stewed pork or Mount Qi vegetables. The noodles are hard to eat with chopsticks and I found myself slurping my noodles in a very unlady-like fashion. As I looked around, however, everyone else also had their heads bent low unceremoniously slurping those delicious hand ripped noodles.

The Green Table (75 9^th Avenue, New York, NY 10011)

Located in the Chelsea market this farm to table restaurant is a great stop for lunch. The service is slow and relaxed here, because good food takes time. And they are right. We ordered the monk fish special and the GT burger. Let me tell you, that was the best burger I have ever eaten in my life. It was a Wrighteous Organics beef burger with bacon jam, house pickles, and roasted garlic aioli. I think it was the combination of the beef and the bacon jam that did me in. I only had a bite of the monk fish, but my boyfriend said that it was also a delicious choice.

8. Step back in time

I am surprised by how many historic speakeasy’s there are in the city. One of the most well-known is probably the Campbell Apartment, located in Grand Central Station. In 1923, a financier by the name of John W. Campbell used this space as his office and reception hall. This space was used at one time during the prohibition and maintains that quality with drinks like the “Prohibition Punch.” But if you want to visit this spot make sure you are dressed appropriately. They have a strict dress code.

Other historic bars around the city, that I have yet to visit include, Chumley’s (86 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014) a revival of a legendary speakeasy established in 1922 by the socialist activist Leland Stanford Chumley. He converted this old blacksmith’s shop into a prohibition-era drinking establishment.

McSorley’s Old Ale House (15 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003) is another historic bar on my list. Established in 1854 this is New York’s oldest continuously operated saloon that has seen the likes of Abraham Lincoln and John Lennon pass through it’s doors. Go for the McSorley’s Ale but stay for the history steeped within its walls.

What secret or underrated locations have you been to in New York City? Am I missing any great food options (I am sure I am, there are so many choices)?! There is so much to offer  you need to have an itinerary for New York before you go. And even with an itinerary you will constantly stumble upon something new that you didn’t even know was an option before.