If you want to find out some unusual things to do in New York, I guess you’ve already been and seen the top attractions in NYC. Excuse me San Francisco, Seattle, or little Charlotte, but New York rocks
Being such a huge and important city, there are loads of exciting and unusual places to visit in New York, most of which have never been on the average tourist’s radar.
If you’ve already seen the Statue of Liberty, watched a show on Broadway, or posed for a picture in Times Square, you might be asking yourself a few questions. What is there in NYC that isn’t touristy?
What are the quirky or offbeat things to do in NYC? There are plenty of cool places in New York that few tourists know about, so keep on reading and I’ll show you my favorite unusual things to do in New York City.
1-Unusual Things to Do in NYC: Staten Island
You will be forgiven if you ask what exactly is Staten Island. A visit to the city’s southernmost borough is definitely among the unusual things to do in New York City. Known as “the forgotten borough”, the island is a more residential part of the city and has a population of less than half a million people.
To get to Staten Island you’ll need to ride a ferry for 25 minutes. And guess what? The ferry ride is one of the best ways to see the Statue of Liberty.
Ok, you won’t be very close to it, but on the other hand, you won’t have to stand in a line for hours and will save yourself the hefty entry fee.
From Staten Island, you’ll have some amazing views of New York City’s skyline, another reason why a visit here is one of the best alternative things to do in New York.
2-Quirky Things to Visit in NYC: Visit The Vessel
Thinking of quirky things to do in New York City, a visit to the Vessel tops the list. It’s one of the newest additions to the city’s tourist scene, so if you’re in New York for the first time, it’s still a must.
This 16-story structure has a honeycomb-like shape and is located in Hudson’s Yard. It has 154 flights of stairs connecting the buildings of Hudson’s Yard and has become an Instagram sensation.
The main pieces of the Vessel were built in Italy and shipped to New York. Its construction cost between 150 and 200 million dollars, something that caused some controversy – the original budget was 75 million dollars.
3-Creepy Things to Do in NYC: Visit The Catacombs
Everyone knows St Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the top landmarks in New York. What most people don’t know is that there are many areas of the church that are not open to the average visitor or churchgoer.
St Patrick’s Cathedral has one of the unique hidden gems of New York, its very own catacombs. While not as famous as the one in Paris, the NYC catacombs are really worth visiting.
You will need to go on an organized tour to see this that is among. the creepy things to do in New York. On the tour, you’ll see the catacombs for yourself, learn about its history, and hear some sad and scary stories.
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4- Cool Things to Do in New York: Watch The Knicks
For any sports fan, one of the cool things that you can ever experience is watching the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
This is the Mecca of basketball, a place where many NBA players have had unforgettable performances.
From Michael Jordan to the late great Kobe Bryant, to current stars like LeBron James and Stephan Curry, you’ll hear players past and present rave about the atmosphere of the New York Knicks home court arena and its fans.
If you are in the city, watching NBA in NYC is a definite for any basketball fan to do.
Even for people that aren’t into sports or this particular sport, being in the arena to take in the atmosphere of the live game would be enough to make someone fall in love with the sport.
5-Visit Some Popular Movie Locations
New York City is full of art and culture, even without having to visit any museums or art galleries.
The city has been a background for several Holywood blockbusters and hit TV shows. If you’re a movie or TV buff, the city is the place for you.
Some popular movie locations in New York include:
- New York Public Library, featured on Sex and the City, Seinfeld, Ghostbusters, among others.
- The Unisphere, located in Queens, can be seen on Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain America, and Iron Man 2.
- American Museum of Natural History, seen on The Devil Wears Prada, A Night At The Museum, and others.
- The Plaza Hotel, once considered the best central hotel in NYC, appeared on Home Alone 2, Sleepless in Seattle, and The Front.
- Conney Island, which appeared on the latest Spider-Man movie, as well as Wonder, Cloverfield, Push, and many others.
Other famous film locations include Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building.
While visiting these places is far from being considered unusual things to do in New York City, they’re still worth visiting once again, this time with your movie-buff eyes.
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6- Sunshine Laundromat
This place is one of the hidden gems in New York City. At first, you’ll think this is just another laundromat where locals come to wash their weekly laundry. But once you step in, you’ll see why a visit here is one of the alternative things to do in New York.
Behind one of the washing machines, you’ll find a 1,000sq ft room that looks like another world. This room is filled with vintage pinball machines and also has a bar.
The room has dim light, drab but is really quirky. This place is fun, lively and is great to come with your friends for a drink and a pinball game, making it a cool night out. If you’re a wine person, forget it, because they only serve beer, going with the mood and the atmosphere.
Address: 860 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NYC
There are many other quirky and unusual things to do in New York. That’s why the city is a place you can visit again and again and never get bored of it!
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