The 101 best things

to do in NYC for
locals and tourists
Experience the absolute best things to do in
NYC with this epic guide to essential eats,
drinks, culture, nightlife and more

By Tim Lowery, Will Gleason and Collier Sutter

Posted: Wednesday November 27 2019

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NOVEMBER 2019: In our massive overhaul of the Do

List—that is, our essential rundown of the things
every New Yorker and visitor must check off their
bucket lists—we replaced a whopping 34 entries.
(That’s, like, a third of the list, people!) Why? Because
in NYC, what’s necessary is always changing. As you
can see below, we’ve added recent faves—looking
good, Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop—and even yet-to-debut
attractions—ditto, The Edge—into our mix of tried-
and-true staples. Plus, we also crowned a new No. 1
pick: Having one hell of a night out at Club
Cumming.

Every day, our staffers are eating, drinking, partying,

gigging and generally appreciating their way
throughout this fair town of ours. Which makes
pinning down the most essential New York activities
kinda…tough. We need to include the classics,
naturally—art museums in NYC, stellar New York
attractions, killer bars and restaurants in NYC—but
also spotlight the more recent or little-known gems
that we truly love. Consider the below your NYC
Bible.

Done something on this list and loved it? Share it

with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList.

You can also ^nd out more about how Time Out
selects the very best things to do all over the world,
or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in
the world right now.

101 best things to do in NYC

Photograph: Courtesy koitz

Bars, Cocktail bars

Join the party at Club

Cumming
East Village · $ $ $ $

What is it? A wild East Village bar and nightclub that

hosts late-night parties, live music, cabaret
performances and comedy.

Why go? You never know what you might ^nd in Alan
Cumming’s eponymous East Village club, but you’re
guaranteed to have a memorable night out. From
energetic Monday live piano sing-a-longs that
stretch into the early morning to a Wednesday night
variety show hosted by the hilarious (and musically
gifted) Catherine Cohen, the space has staked a ^ery
claim to being the current epicenter of New York’s
queer nightlife performance scene.
+ show more

Don't miss: Come weekends, the vibe gets decidedly

Read
sexier withmore
DJs and go-go boys all night long (not to
say you still can't belt out a show tune if the spirit
moves you).
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Photograph: Courtesy Joan Marcus

Theater, Broadway

See a Broadway show

Midtown West · $ $ $ $

What is it? Broadway shows are practically

synonymous with New York City, and the word
Broadway is often used as shorthand for theater
itself.

Why go? Visiting the Great White Way means

attending one of 41 large theaters concentrated
near Times Square. Each year millions of tourists
iock to the city to see the best Broadway shows,
from long-running phenomenons such as The Lion
King to more recent hits like Hamilton. Some are
proud winners of Tony Awards, but you needn't limit
yourself to shows with the greatest accolades.
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Don’t miss: "Enjoying a Broadway show at a 100-

Read more Buy
year-old theater, like the Lyceum, the New
Amsterdam or the Belasco," suggests Theater &
Dance editor Adam Feldman.
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Photograph: Andrew Tess

Restaurants, Pizza

Scarf down pizza at

Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop
Greenpoint · $ $ $ $

What is it? The new king of the New York slice.

Why go? With its charred-wood–^red pies, Paulie

Gee’s quickly became a cult favorite in Greenpoint.
So when they unveiled a spin-off slice shop a few
blocks away in 2018, it naturally got the
neighborhood’s attention. The decor mimics the old-
school New York dollar-slice shop, from the ’70s
faux-wood Formica tables and letter-board menu to
the red plastic trays and the paper plates on which
each slice is served, but the ’za is the real deal.

Don’t miss: Opt for the classic cheese slice, just as

+ show more
as lovely as the pepperoni number or the
Hellboy,which takes the pepperoni slice and douses
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it with sweet-and-spicy Mike’s Hot Honey. Discover
all of our favorite places for pizza in NYC.

View
New York: 9/11 Memorial &
Museum Skip-the-Ticket-Line
Entry

Duration: 3 hours

5470 Reviews

View
New York One World
Observatory: Skip-the-Line
Ticket Options
Likely to sell out
Duration: 1 day

5950 Reviews

View
New York City: Christmas Eve
Brunch Cruise
Likely to sell out
T
Duration: 2 hours

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Photograph: Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Museums, Art and design

Get cultured at the

Metropolitan Museum of
Art
Central Park · $ $ $ $

What is it? This gorgeous late 19th century neo-

classical institution is one of the biggest museums
in the world.

Why go? It would take multiple visits to fully

appreciate this sprawling–as in 13-acres of Central
Park sprawling–collection of more than 5,000 years
of art from every corner of the world. Visitors young
and old are mesmerized by the Temple of Dendur, an
Egyptian temple from 10 B.C. that was transposed
from its Nile-side location to the bright, sun
drenched Sackler Wing overlooking a reiective pool.
Other highlights include the impressive array of
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European and Asian armor, Grecian sculptures,
medieval art and contemporary photography.
Read more Book online

Don’t miss: "Throwing pennies ito the fountain by the

Temple of Dendur," suggests Mary in Middle Village.
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"I swear every wish I've made there has come true."

Photograph: Shutterstock

Attractions, Parks and gardens

Spend a leisurely
afternoon in Prospect
Park
Prospect Park

What is it? A 526-acre sprawling public park in the

heart of Brooklyn.

Why go? “Go to Prospect Park on a clear evening, lie

in the grass, and watch the bats and the stars,”
suggests Cat of Park Slope. While bicycling, warm-
weather picnics and weekend runs are a must at this
park, you can do pretty much any outdoor activity
your heart desires: there’s bird-watching, baseball,
basketball and more.

Don’t miss: We recommend roller skating or renting

a paddle boat at LeFrak, which transforms into an
ice skating rink in the winter.

Read more Book online

Photograph: Courtesy Upright Citizens Brigade

Comedy, Stand-up

Laugh your ass off at

Upright Citizens Brigade
Theatre
Hell's Kitchen

What is it? The best improv theater in New York.

Why go? “Laugh at the AssssCat 3000 shows at UCB

—the improv is some of the best in town, and they
frequently get established comedians and musicians
to perform, ” says Mark of the Upper West Side, and
it’s true. UCB has long been home to so many
incredible improv comics, and AssssCat 3000 is,
deservedly, its most popular long-running show,
taking place every Sunday night. Everyone from Amy
Poehler and to Stephen Colbert has appeared on it.

Don’t miss: Grab a wine or beer at the bar in the

front. Craving more laughs? Check out the best
comedy clubs in NYC.

Read more

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Photograph: Time Out/Ali Garber

Restaurants, Thai

Dine at Ugly Baby, the

best restaurant in NYC
Carroll Gardens

What is it? A Thai restaurant that will keep you

coming back for more self-iniicted pain.

Why go? It may not be scienti^cally proven, but spicy

food is addictive—especially at Ugly Baby. The
servers at this tucked-away spot in Carroll Gardens
will warn you over and over to be careful. But you’ll
go against their advice and end up begging for more
of the cooling cucumbers to ward off the heat.

Don’t miss: The “stay-away spicy Udon Thani’s duck

salad” or the khao soi.

Read more

Bars, Lounges

Sip worldly drinks at

Mace, NYC's best bar
East Village · $ $ $ $

What is it? An East Village bar where the booze

menu is centered around international iavors, with
each cocktail titled for a spice used in it.

Why go? To heat up your next date. The exotic menu

means you’ll have to be a bit daring, sipping rare
spices such as Filipino pandan. Tuck yourselves into
one of the cushy benches and toast your intimate,
globe-trotting evening.

Don’t miss: Don’t shy from the namesake coup, a

tangy-sweet candied-beet number that’s misted with
earthy mace at the table.

Read more

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Photograph: Courtesy Nitzan Rubin

Restaurants, Food court

Eat like a true New

Yorker at Time Out
Market
DUMBO · $ $ $ $

What is it? We’ve packed all our favorite restaurants

(21, to be exact) under one roof at the Time Out
Market New York located inside Empire Stores in
DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Why go? To chow down on iuffy pancakes from the

venerable Clinton Street Baking Co., thin-crust pizza
from Patsy Grimaldi’s Juliana’s, Middle Eastern bites
from Miss Ada, fried chicken from Jacob’s Pickles,
Japanese comfort food from Bessou, cookie dough
scoops from DŌ and more amazing meals available
between two ioors.

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Don’t miss: Time Out Rooftop, located on the ^fth
ioor of our market’s homebase, has a full bar,
Read more
cabaret-style entertainment stage where Time Out
New York editors bring the best musicians,
comedians and performers in the area to entertain
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you while you gorge and imbibe.

Photograph: Courtesy Related-Oxford

News, City Life

Hang at the highest

outdoor observation deck
in the Western
Hemisphere
What is it? A 1,131-foot-high-observation deck atop
20 Hudson Yards that opens in March 2020.

Why go? To take in panoramic views of the entire

city on a 7,500-square-foot triangular platform.

Don’t miss: If you’re terri^ed of heights in the open

air, but want in on the action, there’s also a
champagne bar inside the 100th ioor where you can
sip cocktails with the same 360-degree views of
NYC.

Read more

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Photograph: Shutterstock

Attractions, Parks and gardens

Explore Central Park like

a pro
Central Park

What is it? The world's most famous green space.

Why go? "Many visitors ^ght through the crowded

streets to enter Central Park around 59th Street—
where there’s not much to see—and by the time they
reach the best bits, they are too winded to enjoy
them," says Head of North American Content Rocky
Rakovic. Instead, he suggests taking the subway to
72nd Street and Central Park West, then head east to
hit up Strawberry Fields, the Sheep Meadow, Cherry
Hill, Bow Bridge, the Bethesda Fountain, the
Naumburg Bandshell, the Loeb Boathouse, the Hans
Christian Andersen Monument, the Conservatory
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Water’s model boats and the Alice in Wonderland
statue, all in a “New York hour.”
Read more Book online

Don’t miss: Head to the shore of the Lake at 72nd

Street and rent a rowboat or take a gondola tour.
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Photograph: Filip Wolak

Bars, Beer bars

Dance the day (or night)

away at Nowadays
Ridgewood · $ $ $ $

What is it? "Home of the Mister Sunday party, which

might be the best excuse for starting Monday with a
hangover," says national features editor Tim Lowery.

Why go? With its top-iight sound system,

sophisticated menu and deeply chill vibes,
Nowadays is a slice of Neverland for club kids.
Opened by Mister Saturday Night cofounders Eamon
Harkin and Justin Carter, Nowadays’ ample outdoor
space is the home of its day-party incarnation Mister
Sunday and the Ridgewood Market as well as a
regular slate of readings and discussions.

+ show more
Don’t miss: A 5,000-square-foot indoor venue was