17 Things You Can Only Do in NYC (2024)

Samuel Fraunces first purchased the property at 54 Pearl Street in 1762, and revelers have been drinking their cares away at Fraunces Tavern ever since. There’s plenty of history within these hallowed halls: British forces shot a cannonball through the roof in 1775, George Washington raised a glass here on several occasions and the bar even served as the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs for a time. Whether your order one of Fraunces Tavern’s 140 craft beers or 200 whiskeys, make sure you raise a glass to the revolution!

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If the Metropolitan Museum of Art is on your must-see list, you’re not alone. Millons of people visit The Met every year — and you should definitely be one of them.

Plus, if you've got little ones, check out the museum's 81st Street Studio, a free art and science playspace for kids ages 3-11 and their families.

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New York is the most linguistically diverse city in the world, with more than 800 languages spoken across the five boroughs, according to Endangered Language Alliance. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Queens, where you can hear snippets of Urdu, Croatian, Javaneseand Coptic over the span of a few blocks. Explore the beautiful mosaic of neighborhoods that make the borough so diverse on awalk through the neighborhood.

There’s some disagreement among hot dog historians about where the favorite ball-park food originated, but many claim that German baker Charles Feltman first sold them at a Coney Island stand in 1871. Guess who worked for Feltman? Nathan Handwerker, who opened his eponymous sausage business a few years later. Order up one of the snappy all-beef dogs at the original stand on Coney Island—and take a spin on the Cyclone while you’re there.

Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and the other characters from the beloved children’s books really are real—or at least, real stuffed animals. Author A. A. Milne got his inspiration for the series from his son Christopher Robin’s collection of toys, all of which are now on display at the New York Public Library’s Children’s Center. Seeing the well-loved bear bought at Harrods in London in 1921 almost feels like stepping into the Hundred Acre Wood.

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Sorry folks: If it’s not in New York City, it’s not Broadway. Even if your home town has the most gorgeous, 900-seat theater that hosts only the best touring companies, it doesn’t count. To see a real-deal Broadway show, you have to do it here. Whether you shell out the big bucks forHamilton or go for a newer addition, like The Notebook, you'll be amazed at the caliber of the production.

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Like many New York social clubs, the Explorer’s Club holds an annual gala and dinner. The menu, though, isn’t the usual filet mignon and caesar salad. Past dinners have included everything from fried tarantulas to goat eyeballs. Though the club only offers membership to a select group of adventurers—think Neil Armstrong and James Cameron—the annual gala is open to anyone who can afford the(pricey) tickets.

With 11 floors and more than 1.2 million square feet of retail space, Macy’s Herald Square location is the largest department store in the country and one of thelargest in the world. Come in December to catch a glimpse of the famous holiday windows or in the spring to peep the annual flower show. No matter what time of year you visit, you can always count on an dazzling experience. Be sure to head upstairs to ride on the original wooden escalators.

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Despite this dessert’s name, baked Alaska wasn’t invented in the frozen territory to the north, but at Delmonico’s in the Financial District. The United States’ acquisition of Alaska from Russia in 1867 inspired pastry chef Charles Ranhofer to create the dessert he called “Alaska, Florida”: walnut spice cake topped with banana ice cream covered in a layer of torched meringue. The dessert originally sold for the equivalent of $40, since it required the help of the entire kitchen staff to create. Thankfully, the advent of modern culinary equipment has brought the cost of today’s version down to $24.

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Ready to jump in a boob-themed bounce house or learn the history of sex toys? You’ve come to the right place: the Museum of Sex has been educating New Yorkers and tourists on all things X-rated since it first opened in 2002. Don’t forget to check out the epic museum store for all your adult shopping needs.

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When the city extended the 7th Avenue subway line intoGreenwich Village in the early 1900s, about 300 buildings were condemned and demolished to make room.

One landlord—David Hess—didn't give up soeasily, though.Somehow, city surveyors missed a tiny, 500-square-inch triangle of his property. The Hess family seized the opportunity, covering the triangle inatile mosaic that reads“Property of the Hess Estate Which Has Never Been Dedicated For Public Purposes.”

Though a neighboring business eventually purchased the Hess Triangle for $1,000 in 1938, you can still visit this reminder of one landlord’s determination.

With thousands of pizzerias in this city, there’s no shortage of different varieties: classic New York-style, thick Sicilian-style, wood-fired, coal oven, Neapolitan, Roman, the list goes on and on. You could spend years working your way through every slicery in the five boroughs and still not taste it all. To get the ultimate pie-tasting experience, book a pizza walking tour to enjoy samples from the some of the city’s best pizzerias in one go.

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At the northern tip of Manhattan, footpaths wind through Fort Tryon Park to what appears to be a castle from Medieval times: the Cloisters. In actuality, this museum dedicated to the art of the Middle Ages was built less than 100 years ago, though the architects did use material from five medieval French cloisters. The incredible architecture and awe-inspiring artifacts—including the famed unicorn tapestries from John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s collection—have to be seen to be believed.

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History buffs probably already know about White Horse Tavern’s literary legacy: Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died after allegedly pounding 18 shots there and Jack Kerouac was kicked out so many times that one annoyed patron scrawled “Go home Jack!” on the bathroom stall. You can still see that graffiti and soak up the ambiance on a visit to the legendary pub today.

Take the tram over the East River to Roosevelt Island (an experience in itself) to find the ruins of a smallpox hospital. It was built in the 19th century to keep contagious patients from the rest of Manhattan. Nowadays, you can see the shell of its its extremely creepy exterior.

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So many movies and TV shows have been filmed in New York City that we’ll probably never have a complete tally. Sure, NYC's streets might never measure up to L.A.’s enormous studio lots, but we come pretty damn close. Find the locations ofBreakfast at Tiffany’s, Moonstruck, Friends, Almost Famous and other classicsaround town.

All New Yorkers will inevitably hear some tourist chattering about how excited they are to ride the subway while commuting and want to punch them. But really, once you look past the “It’s showtime!” people and lingering smells, the subway is something of a modern wonder. Take a private underground tour to learn the subway’s fascinating history and even spot some often-overlooked art.

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