10 Secret Things You Must Do in New York City

Updated On October 8, 2023
Yellow taxis New York

We will list ten things that you can do in New York City if you have some spare time.

Would you like to make your journey different from all those trodden paths?

New York or the Big Apple is the city that never sleeps, but we will show you that there are the reasons to rethink the dream.

The following things to do are probably something you’ve known before but never included in your list.

1. Go for Italian Pizza

New York is not Milano but some of its Italian pizzerias serve very authentic cheesy dishes.

Where do you think you can get the best of pizza?

Sure it’s the Bronx.

Ivana’s pizzeria or Brother’s pizzeria are two places where ancient Italian traditions have been kept for centuries.

You can get some very tasty slices, from a traditional Margarita to more complicated recipes.

Italian pizza
Italian pizza

2. Tulip Galore

Sometimes you just can’t afford it to get to the Netherlands or Turkey to see the tulip paradise.

No need to strive for more if you are in New York City.

There’s a tulip galore out there at Brookfield Place.

This spring promises to be special, as well as very calm and romantic among the New York tulips in Lower Manhattan.

Tulip galore
Tulip galore

3. Smallpox Hospital

A very interesting and intriguing place it is.

The Smallpox Hospital can be found on Roosevelt Island.

It is worth being visited by those who like horror movies, strange stories, and haunted places.

This place is also a treasure for those seeking for gothic style in architecture.

The Smallpox Hospital has thousands of deaths behind its name.

The infected people were taken to Roosevelt Island in order to keep away from the healthy ones.

Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island

4. Morgan Library

Attention, readers!

You are going to discover one of the most addictive places in New York.

The literary masterpieces, as well as temporary art, will catch your eye through thousands of old manuscripts.

The Morgan Library used to be the private bookkeeping establishment of two Morgans who were concerned about large amounts of money.

Now it’s a place for the public.

Harry Potter admirers will find it cool, no doubt.

Bookshelves in the library
Bookshelves in the library

5. The Ice Cream Museum

When the summer comes, New York offers a very special thing to its visitors.

It’s moving from one place to another the Ice Cream Museum.

This is literally a cool place where you can try different sorts of ice cream.

Each sort is presented in a separate room.

It’s like traveling back to childhood.

Chocolate ice cream ball
Chocolate ice cream ball

6. The Speakeasy Space

Well, let’s get back to your adulthood because the next stop in New York where you should definitely be is a speakeasy space.

The place where you can drink and the party is hidden behind the phone box door, and you have to ring and to ask whether they have free sits for you.

After you are allowed to enter the room, you will see the bar where they’ll offer you some intimate drinks from the times when they were totally prohibited in New York.

Intimate drinks
Intimate drinks

7. Berlin Wall

You do not think the Berlin Wall is in New York, do you?

That’s just another piece of mural art in the city.

In fact, a part of the historic wall was really transported here in New York and placed at 520 Madison Avenue.

There are actually four other parts of the wall, each of them painted by New York artists in the 1990s.

Berlin wall
Berlin wall

8. Romantic Sunset

The Big Apple is good for walking, driving, partying and hanging out all days long.

Although, when it comes to the evening, the sunsets are so much worth seeing.

You are not obliged to go to bed right after you see this romantic view from the top of Rockefeller Center or the Empire State Building, but you should definitely see it from the Sunset Park in Brooklyn.

The view is truly incredible.

Central park New York
Central park New York

9. Rockefeller Center

The gardens of the Rockefeller Center will give you an authentic feeling of New York.

You will witness the city and smell it from the earth, not from the top of the Center just like the millions of tourists.

It’s worth mentioning that you will not be there alone, of course, but a walk through the Central Park straight to the gardens will inspire you.

Rockefeller center
Rockefeller center

10. Harlem

In the Upper Manhattan region, there’s a small atmospheric area called Harlem.

You will definitely feel like being off the beaten route.

Although, you will be able to admire the African-American heritage where they play jazz in the clubs (Cotton Club and Minton’s are worth stopping by).

Try to evaluate the architecture of the 19th-century buildings in the traditional brownstone.

Several museums of history and art in this region are open for you if you like.

Harlem brownwstone buildings
Harlem brownwstone buildings

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