Less Touristy Ways to Explore New York City
New York City is the most visited city in the United States. Considering the heavy tourism in the city that never sleeps, you will likely encounter large crowds if you visit famous destinations like The Metropolitan Museum of Art (colloquially known as The Met), the Empire State Building, Times Square and Rockefeller Center. While these impressive places offer an amazing experience unique to New York City, the great number of other travelers can make these places feel a bit chaotic and overwhelming. If you’d like to have an authentic experience of New York City with much smaller crowds, read below for less touristy destinations in the Big Apple that are fun to explore and much less crowded.
Union Square Greenmarket
Union Square is a lively park and neighborhood situated in upper Manhattan at Broadway and Fourth Avenue. The park is surrounded by classic New York City skyscrapers and on most days you will find a melting pot of artists, professionals, street performers and the occasional group of protesters. On Saturdays you will find the lovely Union Square Greenmarket which is open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. This is a local market that hosts an array of artisans and farmers. From fresh vegetables and flowers to baked goods and regional alcohols, you’ll find plenty of local goods to take home. A casual stroll through Union Park Greenmarket is a relaxing way to start a day of exploring and to feel like a New York local. Other notable weekend markets worth a visit around the city include the Grand Bazaar, Chelsea Flea Market and Fulton Stall Market.
Explore Central Park with a Local
Central Park, New York City’s most famous park, is an impressive 1.3 square mile public park that extends from upper Manhattan to East Harlem. As a popular destination for tourists, there are numerous ways to explore this impressive green space with options including horse-drawn carriage (no cars allowed here!) and bike tours. If you are looking for a more intimate experience, I suggest joining a small group walking tour which is a great way to explore the park while learning about its history and ongoing cultural significance. Jen From the City is a local tour guide who offers private and small group tours through both bustling and quiet areas of the park. Jen is a fantastic tour guide who has an infectious passion for the city and offers a fun, unique perspective of Central Park.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is situated between East 50th and 51st Streets and sits across the street from Rockefeller Center. This is the largest Catholic Cathedral in the United States and is an impressive display of Neo-Gothic architecture. Construction of the cathedral began in 1858 & finished in 1879. Today, Saint Patrick’s is truly stunning to experience in person. The cathedral works as a fully operational Catholic church that hosts daily and weekend mass services and is also open to tourists. Self-guided audio tours are available for those who want a more thorough knowledge of the cathedral’s history while admiring the awe-inspiring stain glass windows and internal structures.
Museum of the City of New York
One of the most celebrated attributes of New York City is its abundance of museums. Here you’ll find world-renown institutions such as the Met, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History. These are stately institutions that offer impressive displays of art, history and artifacts from all over the word. To learn more about the history of the New York City itself, I suggest a visit to the Museum of the City of New York located off 5th Avenue. Serving as both an art and history museum, the Museum of the City of New York offers a culturally rich experience to learn about this dynamic city. As a bonus, it is much less crowded than New York’s more famous museums so you can take your time to view the exhibits peacefully.
A Great View that isn’t the Empire State Building
As impressive as New York City is on foot, there’s nothing like viewing the city from above. Once the tallest building in the world, many tourists (4 million per year, in fact) opt to get a bird’s eye view from the famous Empire State Building. While this is a great way to see New York, entry to the Empire State Building is expensive and is complemented by large crowds. To have a great view of the city accompanied by a toast to your successful adventure, I suggest visiting one of the city’s many rooftop bars. A few New York City rooftop bars that offer stunning views of city include Mr. Purple at Hotel Indigo Lower East Side, 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar (a few blocks from the Empire State Building) and Lost in Paradise Rooftop in Long Island City. Cheers!
