19 Awesome Things to Do in New York City in 2023
Last Updated: August 31, 2023
New York City is one of the world’s most well-known, iconic cities. There is nowhere in the world quite like New York City. In fact, New York is full of so many things to do that it can be hard to know where to start. What are the very best things to do in New York?
What are the top things to do in New York City?
We’ve organized our list of top things to do in New York by location. So as you make your way down our list, you also make your way down Manhattan, starting near Central Park, making your way through Midtown and Lower Manhattan, all the way to the Statue of Liberty southwest of Manhattan.
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1. Eat a rainbow bagel at Liberty Bagels
You may have heard that New York City is famous for its delicious bagels recipes that were generously shared with us by European Jewish immigrants back in the 1800’s. Well, flash forward to 2023 and today you can walk into almost any corner deli in Manhattan and get a delicious chewy bagel with specialty cream cheese. But have you tried rainbow bagels? 🌈🥯
The highly rated Liberty Bagels on 5th Ave offers an exciting assortment of rainbow bagels. This unique experience in New York is one you won’t want to miss. And Liberty Bagels is conveniently located near other top activities in New York, such as Central Park and the Plaza Hotel.
2. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel
New York’s Plaza Hotel stands beautifully over Central Park. You may have thought visiting the Plaza is entirely out of the question if you can’t drop $1K for a night there. However, you should consider afternoon tea at the Plaza. It’s a magical way to spend a couple hours inside one of New York’s most iconic landmarks.
Is afternoon tea at the Plaza worth the cost? Check out our in-depth guide to afternoon tea at the Plaza, to decide if you want to give afternoon tea a try.
3. Visit the Bow Bridge and Other Iconic Spots in Central Park
Central Park is undeniably one of the best, most beloved spots in New York City. We try to stop there almost every time we visit New York. Not only does Central Park offer beautiful green space in the concrete jungle of New York, but Central Park is always humming with activity and fund things to do.
Because Central Park is so huge, it can be difficult to know where to start. Where should you go in Central Park? One great site in the middle of Central Park is the Bow Bridge. The Bow Bridge is seen in many movies and is centrally located near other top sites in Central Park, such as the Belvedere Castle and the Bethesda Terrace, where you can see many street performers.
If you really want to enjoy Central Park in the most relaxing way possible, you can book a horse drawn carriage ride around Central Park. You’ll see many people exploring Central Park from a romantic horse draw carriage.
4. Explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The famous Metropolitan Museum of Art (affectionately called “The Met”) stands proudly overlooking Central Park. The Met contains a truly staggering volume of art of every kind. Art aficionados can easily spend all day inside the Met. The Met contains art from all around the world and from many different eras in history. It’s definitely worth a visit.
5. Walk down 5th Avenue
One of New York’s most legendary streets is 5th Avenue. Running all the way down Manhattan, 5th Avenue is full of notable sites such as the Met and the Empire State Building. But the street is a site to see in its own right.
5th Avenue is one of the world’s biggest shopping hubs, with stores ranging from very affordable to very high end. If you haven’t gone shopping on 5th Avenue, you haven’t gone shopping.
6. Marvel at Times Square
No one can visit New York without visiting Times Square. Sure, people complain that it is overcrowded and too touristy. But Time Square also exudes an electricity in the air unlike anywhere else. The very crowds that people complain about are part of what gives Times Square its claim to fame. People from all over the world come together to take in this thriving city hub.
In Times Square, you can take in the city lights and shop at the many multi-story stores, such as M&M World, Sephora, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and more. You can also see the famous ball that drops every New Years Eve. And while in Times Square, you of course should catch a Broadway show, which leads us to our next top thing to do in New York.
7. See a Broadway show for cheap with the Broadway lottery
Everyone knows that Broadway is the place to see perhaps the best theater productions in the world. But did you know that you can see a Broadway show for a fraction of the price with the Broadway lottery, called Broadway Direct? The Broadway lottery is definitely a hidden gem in New York.
How does the Broadway lottery work? The day before a show, the lottery opens online, and it will display the lottery price. Prices usually range from $35 to $50. You can enter the Broadway lottery online until 6:00pm the day before the show. Then, right after the lottery closes, you will get an email letting you know if you won a ticket. Then you’ll have the opportunity to buy your heavily discounted tickets.
The Broadway lottery is best for people who have a little bit of flexibility in their trip to New York, because it’s never guaranteed. The Broadway lottery also usually only allows you to win up to 2 tickets at a time, so it’s not a great option for big families.
But if you do have the flexibility to enter the lottery for multiple shows on multiple days, you may just luck out and get to see an amazing show! We won the lottery for Six the Musical, and got awesome box seats for a great deal.
8. Visit the New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is one of our favorite places in New York City. First, it’s free and accessible to all. It’s a great place to go to get out of the cold in the winter or the heat in the summer. The architecture of the library’s exterior is impressive. And inside, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into an enchanted fantasy land full of books and cozy places to read or work.
9. Enjoy Winter Village in Bryant Park
The Winter Village in Bryant Park is a hidden gem in New York City that we highly recommend if you’re in New York in the winter. Bryant Park backs right up to the New York Public Library. During the winter, Bryant Park is filled with an ice skating rink, twinkling lights, artisan stalls, and food vendors. The Winter Village offers a fun, festive atmosphere, and it is slightly less packed than the more well-known Rockefeller Center ice rink.
10. See the view from the top of the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is another iconic thing to see in New York City. Built in 1931, it was the world’s tallest building at the time and the first building with 100+ floors.
The famous open air deck is on the 86th Floor. The Empire State Building’s open air deck features in many classic movies, such as Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember.
For the original observation deck on the 86th floor, you can buy tickets on the official website for around $44. But now they have opened up a new observation deck on the 102nd floor for even more stunning views of New York City. Tickets for the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building can only be purchased as a package with the 86th floor, for $79 as of the time this article was published.
11. Eat at the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park
Who doesn’t love a burger, fries, and a shake from Shake Shack? The famous burger chain now has locations nationwide. But did you know that you can visit the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park in New York?
You’ll see how the burger joint got its name when you visit the original shack-style Shake Shack. Grab a burger, sit down at one of the outdoor tables, and enjoy the beautiful Madison Square Park.
12. Walk Down the High Line
If you’re looking for a unique green space in New York City, you should definitely check out the High Line. What’s the High Line in New York City? Built on an old abandoned railway, the High Line is an elevated park above the bustle of the street. Not only is the High Line a beautiful site to see in New York, it’s also free!
This portion of the New York Central Railroad was abandoned in 1980 with the construction of the Jarvis Center at the northern end of today’s High Line. After many lobbying efforts from urban planners, the old railroad was converted into the park it is today, inspired by the Promenade Plantée in Paris.
Today, the High Line runs for 1.45 miles through Chelsea along the west side of Manhattan. If you’re navigating between various top sites in New York, walking down the High line is a great way to get around New York by foot.
13. Explore Chelsea Market
After you’ve walked down the High Line for awhile, you can easily stop by Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market was built in an old industrial factory (from Nabisco, to be specific). Today, Chelsea Market has been converted into a modern, trendy marketplace, full of food stalls, fresh produce, and more.
When you walk through Chelsea Market you can also buy fresh meat, seafood, and fancy cheeses. And the many food stalls offer all kinds of delicious food options from around the world. Last time I was there, I tried a Mexican-Japanese fusion sushi burrito, and it was delicious.
Also, if you’re visiting New York in the winter, stopping by Chelsea Market is a great way to get out of the cold for awhile.
14. Wander through Washington Square Park
Another awesome thing to do in New York City is to wander through Washington Square Park. This famous park in Greenwich Village sits right on the edge of New York University (NYU). Not only is Washington Square’s architecture and greenery beautiful, but the park also offers perfect opportunities for people watching. You’ll often catch street performers, artists, and chess players all enjoying the open air green space of Washington Square Park.
15. Bike down the Hudson River Greenway
Biking down the Hudson River Greenway is a hidden gem activity in New York. We didn’t discover this hidden gem in New York until we had been there many times. In fact, though we love to bike, biking in New York always seemed too intimidating with all the chaos of the city traffic. But biking down the Hudson River Greenway is the perfect way to enjoy New York views—in peace—on a bike. 🚴♀️
How do you rent a bike on Hudson River Greenway? You can easily find many Citi Bike stations where you can rent a bike for an hour or two. At the time we’re writing this article, there is a Citi Bike station at Pier 40 at Hudson River Park. And there are plenty of places to return a bike down the river, such as at Liberty St. and West St.
16. Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero
Visiting the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a sobering but memorable thing to do in New York.
At the museum, you’ll learn about the attack on the World Trade Center and the stories of the many men and women who were impacted by the attack. The museum is very well done and is worth a visit. Tickets for the museum cost around $29, and can be purchased on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum website.
Right outside the museum, you can also see Ground Zero–where the former World Trade Center buildings used to stand–which makes up part of the memorial.
17. Take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty
Whenever someone thinks of New York City, the Statue of Liberty inevitably comes to mind. And the Statue of Liberty should definitely be on your list of top things to do in New York City.
The famous statue in New York Harbor has come to represent the ideal of a United States that is welcoming to immigrants. In the early 1900s, the statue was one of the sites that welcomed immigrants coming on boats into the harbor. At the base of the Statute of Liberty, the poem “The New Colossus” by Mary Lazarus is inscribed. The plaque famously reads:
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
How do you get to the Statue of Liberty? You have to buy ferry tickets through the only official authorized vendor, Statue City Cruises. As you’ll see on their website, you can catch a ferry from either Battery Park in Lower Manhattan or from Liberty State Park in New Jersey, across the harbor.
You’ll also see that there are various ticket packages. You’ll have to pay more to go up to the top of the Statue of Liberty’s crown. But all ticket packages should also include a stop at Ellis Island, which was one of the early processing center’s for arriving immigrants. Today, Ellis Island has been converted into a museum about the United States’ history of immigration.
18. See all of New York from a Helicopter
If you really want the best view of New York City, what better way to see it than from the air? One of the most exciting things you can do in NYC is to take a helicopter tour of Manhattan.
These tours are, of course, a bit more of a splurge. But a helicopter tour of New York City offers unique views of all the famous New York sites—like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park—that few people get to see.
19. Snap a photo at the Manhattan Bridge photo spot
You’ve undoubtedly seen photos of a famous bridge in New York City, though you might not know where that photo is taken! The iconic photo shows the Manhattan Bridge, taken from the intersection of Washington St. and Water St. in Brooklyn. People often assume this photo is of the Brooklyn Bridge, but that is incorrect. The famous photo is of the Manhattan Bridge. And it’s definitely worth a stop to get your own photo at the Manhattan Bridge! 📸
How do you get to the Manhattan Bridge photo spot? The scenic spot is only about a half mile from the High Street – Brooklyn Bridge subway stop in Brooklyn. You can easily take the A train or the C train from Manhattan to get to the High Street – Brooklyn Bridge subway stop. (The subway system in New York can be somewhat daunting. Check out this helpful in-depth guide from a licensed NYC tour guide, to answer all your subway questions.)
New York is a vibrant city with so much to do. Our list of the top 19 unique things to do in New York City is just the start. Whether you have 1 day in New York or 10 days, you’ll certainly never be bored in the city that never sleeps. 🌃