Fun Things To Do In NYC On Your Vacation
So your heading to NYC for the summer to take a great internship or just to visit some old friends. You want to see the traditional sights like the Empire State Building, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and all the other tourist traps. But little did you know that there are many other sights to see off the beaten path that are just as fun to see and experience. Our travel writer Amy has been there and done that and has come up with her top 10 things to do in NYC that are off the beaten path.
1. OUTDOORS + SHOPPING; DOES IT GET ANY BETTER?
Spend a lazy weekend browsing up to 170 vendors at Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market. This market in midtown Manhattan sells art, antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, mid-century modern items, home decorations, furniture, jewelery and more. The market is open year round, but it’s arguably a more pleasant experience on a warm summer day. This location, at West 39th between 9th and 10th avenues, is open every Saturday and Sunday from 9am until 6pm.
If you find you’re having so much fun and you just can’t get enough, there are two additional flea markets nearby. “The Garage”, is located at 112 West 25th street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. It operates every Saturday and Sunday from 9am until 5pm and features antiques, decorative arts, paintings, vintage items, jewelry, fabrics, rugs, handbags, furniture and fine silver. “West 25th” is located, not surprisingly, on West 25th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue, and operates from 9am until 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. This market features many of the same types of items as the other two.
2. BROOKLYN BRIDGE BOOT CAMP – THAT BRIDGE IS LONG!
Instead of admiring the Brooklyn Bridge from a Manhattan pier, grab a friend and sign up for Boot Camp on the bridge (www.brooklynbridgebootcamp.com)! This architectural masterpiece will take on a whole new meaning while you are running drills and lunging your way across its 5,989 feet.
According to the workout description, “The workout consists of running with intermittent stops at the bridge posts. Here we perform drills, such as jumping jacks, squats, and lunges and exercises with simple equipment that will quickly produce a lean and strong physique. Your heart rate will be consistently elevated, resulting in mega-calorie burn (up to 800 calories) and you will leave class feeling energized and ready for the day. You’ll enjoy working out with a fun bunch of people that share your goals.”
3. THE HIGH LINE
Explore the new High Line, an abandoned raised railroad bed that was recently transformed into a pedestrian park and pathway (www.thehighline.org). The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9, 2009, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street.
If you’d prefer a reason to climb up to the new pedway, there are plenty of events that take place there, including painting workshops, wildflower walking tours, stargazing with amateur astronomers, walking architectural tours and scavenger hunts.
The High Line is free to check out and gives a difference perspective on the city, even from just a couple stories above the street level.
4. CHEER ON AMPHIBIOUS DRAGONS
Go to the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows Park (www.hkdbf-ny.org). In 2010, the festival takes place on August 7th and 8th.
The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York is an annual sporting event on Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York to celebrate the fifth moon (or the fifth month) of the lunar calendar. In addition to providing audiences with traditional Chinese foods and performances, the festival hosts over 120 dragon boat teams from across North America, making it one of the largest dragon boat festivals in the United States.
Admission is free, and the racing is like no boat race you’ve witnessed, unless of course you have witnessed this race in the past.
5. PLAY BALL (FOR THE GREATER GOOD)
Give back to the community by playing sports! Join a team on ZogSports (www.zogsports.org).
“ZogSports organizes intramural sports leagues (Touch Football, Outdoor and Indoor Soccer, Volleyball, Kickball, Softball, Dodgeball, Basketball, Touch Rugby, Floor Hockey and Wiffle Ball), trips, classes, clinics, social events and volunteer opportunities for young professionals. ZogSports donates a portion of all proceeds to charity and helps participants Play For Your Cause through charitable donations to each winning teams’ charity of choice. In seven years, ZogSports has over 80,000 people participating in their activities and has donated over $650,000 to charity.”
Check out their website for more information, and a list of which sports and teams are available for sign up. Everyone loves a good game of softball on a warm summer night, followed by some pints at a local pub. Why not join a team that is based on the idea of giving to charity?
6. RUN AROUND LIKE AN ANTI-TOURIST
If you’re just visiting New York City, get to know the area more intimately by taking a tour. No, not a double-decker bus tour, not a trolley tour, not an amphibious land vehicle tour, or even a boat tour to Ellis Island. Take a City Running Tour (www.cityrunningtours.com). This company offers both guided personalized and group running tours…accommodating your needs as both a runner and a tourist.
The best part: no nametags or obnoxious tour guide to blow your cover as a tourist! Just two or more people out running, enjoying the city sights.
7. SUSTAINABLE BOOT CAMP?
Attend Back to Basics Boot Camp: Survival Skills for Sustainable Living at Socrates Sculpture Park (www.socratessculpturepark.org). The park is hosting three workshops this summer, one each in April, May and June. See workshop schedule below:
Container Gardening with Plant Specialists and Eagle Street Rooftop Farms
Sunday, April 18, 2010, 2 PM – 4 PM
Learn how to create your own vegetable, herb or ornamental container garden.
Soap Making with Meow Meow Tweet
Sunday, May 9, 2010, 2 PM – 4 PM
Discover cold process soap making by learning the proper steps, helpful hints and where to find great soap making supplies.
Cooking With Fire with The Brooklyn Kitchen and The Meat Hook
Sunday, June 20, 2010, 2 PM – 4 PM
Get insider tips on how to grill your favorite meats just in time for summer.
Surprisingly, these workshops are free of charge and all materials will be provided to participants. Space is, however, limited, so sign up now – before everyone finds out about it! Call 718.956.1819 to register.
8. CHILL AT A FREE CONCERT
No summer is complete without going to a show at the Summer Stage in Central Park. Central Park SummerStage presents performances of outstanding artistic quality, free of charge, to New York City. The artists perform in an outdoor setting accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
In addition to free shows, the Stage hosts a select group of performers that put on ticketed benefit concerts that allow the rest of the season to be free of charge. This year’s benefit performers include Pavement, Hot Chip, The Black Keys, The Flaming Lips and John Butler Trio. Visit the website (www.summerstage.org) for ticket sales.
9. RELAX IN THE GARDENS
The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are an unparalleled way to spend a relaxing afternoon getting your fix of Vitamin D. Their website (www.bbg.org) has an extensive photographic and descriptive history of the gardens, from their beginnings in the late 1800s. Free guided tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm, beginning in front of the visitor center.
10. GO SWIMMING
Cool off in one of Manhattan’s public swimming pools. You live in New York. You are surrounded on all sides by water. The summer heat swelters and a Slurpee just won’t cool you down like it needs to. The problem: you live in an apartment the size of your childhood closet, and it didn’t come with a pool in the backyard. The solution: go to www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools and find one of NYC’s 54 public pools. The website gives descriptions on the types, dimensions, hours and location of each pool, as well as whether it is handicap accessible. So grab a couple noodles from the local Duane Reade and practice your underwater jump rope skills (try)!