Things to do in New York City
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Astoria Park
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Associated Press Building
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ARC Sports
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American Folk Art Museum
This tiny institution contains a couple of centuries' worth of folk and outsider art treasures, including pieces by Henry Darger (known for his girl-filled battlescapes) and Martín Ramírez (producer of hallucinatory caballeros on horseback). There is also an array of wood carvings, paintings, hand-tinted photographs and decorative objects. On Wednesdays there are guitar concerts, and there's free music on Fridays.
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All People’s Garden
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Adour
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202
On the edge of Chelsea Market, this spacious wood-floored boutique and restaurant sates many appetites with its elegant glasswares and homewares, beautifully designed men’s and women’s clothing, trim leather armchairs – and of course those delectable fluffy pancakes served at brunch. The 202 store is the brainchild of designer Nicole Farhi, who has a similar store in London’s Notting Hill.
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Greater Hood Memorial AME Zion Church
A red structure with 30s-style Deco accents houses this African Methodist Episcopalian church popular for its Sunday services. They also host a hip-hop service on Thursdays at 7pm.
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New Museum of Contemporary Art
This recent addition to the neighborhood, the New Museum of Contemporary Art is a sight to behold: a seven-story stack of off-kilter, white, ethereal boxes, designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA and the New York–based firm Gensler. It was a long-awaited breath of fresh air along what was a completely gritty Bowery strip when it arrived – though since its opening, several glossy new constructions have joined it, quickly transforming this once down-and-out avenue. The thrills don’t stop when you step inside, either, as the city’s sole museum dedicated to contemporary art has brought a steady menu of edgy works in new forms, such as…
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Better Burger
This sleek, bright, fast-food joint offers organic, hormone-free burgers made from your choice of beef, ostrich, turkey, chicken, tuna, soy or mashed veggies. All come on homemade whole-wheat buns and are topped with homemade 'tomato zest,' a sophisticated version of ketchup. To really treat yourself, add an order of the air-baked 'fries,' which are so good you'll swear they were dunked in grease, and one of several smoothies or bottled beers.
Find other outposts of the fast-growing local chain in Midtown, Murray Hill and the Upper East Side; check the website for locations.
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Abyssinian Baptist Church
Founded by an Ethiopian businessman, the Abyssinian Baptist Church began as a downtown institution but moved north to Harlem in 1923, mirroring the migration of the city's black population. Its charismatic pastor, Calvin O Butts III, is an important community activist whose support is sought by politicians of all parties.
Sunday gospel services here are a raucous, soulful affair. This famed congregation is the number one spot for foreign travelers (hence the separate tourist seating section). It’s so popular, in fact, that you may not get in.
The church has a superb choir and the building is a beauty. If you plan on visiting with a group of 10 or more, call in advance…
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Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney makes no secret of its mission to provoke, which starts with its imposing Brutalist building, a structure that houses works by 20th century masters Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, Georgia O’Keeffe and Mark Rothko. In addition to rotating exhibits, there is a biennial on even years, an ambitious survey of contemporary art that rarely fails to generate controversy.
The museum was opened in 1931 by society doyenne Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who was known for her lively Greenwich Village salons. During her lifetime, she collected more than 600 works of art, including canvases by painters such as Thomas Hart Benton and George Bellows. These works comprise the core…
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Café Glechik
This chatty chew is known for the fact that globe-trotting chef Anthony Bourdain ate here on his TV show No Reservations. The dishes to get are the dumplings: pelmeni and vareniki with a wide assortment of stuffings. (Sour-cherry vareniki are the jam!) You’ll also find classics like borscht, kebabs and hyper-sweet compote drinks. Cash only.
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Yonah Schimmel Knishery
Here's how to make a living the old-school way: buy a pushcart c 1890, sell your wife's knishes on Coney Island, save up for a mini storefront on the Lower East Side, and turn it into a century-old family business that still follows the original recipe and uses a century-old dumbwaiter to haul potato, cheese, cabbage and kasha knishes up from your wood-burning stove in the cellar. One bite of a Yonah Schimmel knish and you'll be hooked.
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Paley Center for Media
Heaven for pop-culture fans, the Paley Center offers more than 150,000 TV and radio programs from around the world on its computer catalog. While reliving your favorite TV shows on one of the museum’s consoles is sheer bliss on a rainy day, the radio-listening room is an unexpected pleasure – as are the excellent, regular screenings, festivals, speakers and performers.
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Rubin Museum of Art
This is the first museum in the Western world to dedicate itself to the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions. Its impressive collections include embroidered textiles from China, metal sculptures from Tibet, Pakistani stone sculptures and intricate Bhutanese paintings, as well as ritual objects and dance masks from various Tibetan regions, spanning from the 2nd to the 19th centuries. Rotating exhibitions have included the educational ‘The Red Book of CJ Jung’ and ‘Victorious Ones,’ which comprises sculptures and paintings of Jinas, the founding teachers of Jainism. A small cafe serves traditional Himalayan foods, and the K2 Lounge offers performances and cocktails,…
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National Museum of the American Indian
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, this elegant museum of Native American culture is set in Cass Gilbert's spectacular 1907 Custom House, one of NYC's finest beaux arts buildings. Beyond a vast elliptical rotunda, sleek galleries play host to changing exhibitions documenting Native American culture, life and beliefs. The museum's permanent collection includes stunning decorative arts, textiles and ceremonial objects.
It’s an ironically grand space for the country’s leading museum on Native American art, established by oil heir George Gustav Heye in 1916. The four giant female sculptures outside the building are the work of Daniel Chester French, who would go on…
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Village Chess Shop Ltd
A crusty crew of chess-o-philes frequents this hole-in-the-wall chess shop for $1 games in a no-frills sitting area. Come to play, buy a book to study up, or buy one of the chess sets (the best ones are thematic: Aztec, Crusades, Vegas etc). There’s coffee on, too.
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Sparky's
A pit stop for cheap, tasty, high-quality fast food, Sparky's has soy dogs and beef dogs, real ice cream or Tofutti sandwiches, grilled cheese, hand cut fries and, for breakfast, locally-made yogurts and granola with milk. Everything is organic and family farmed.
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Tent & Trails
This fantastic outdoor outfitter – an NYC rarity – sells top-of-the-line gear like tents, backpacks and footwear, from favorite brands including North Face, Kelty and Eureka, with a small selection available to rent. Staff are knowledgeable, too.
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Marquee
Not long ago on Manhattan’s clear A-list of velvet-rope lounges, Marquee is now a bit past its prime: such is life in clubland. Some luster may be lost, but not the luxury, as the 600-soul limit is quickly filled. If you make it in, head up to the glass-box mezzanine lounge to peek down over 1st-floor revelers.
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Gotham Bikes Downtown
Not far from the Hudson River – a good spot for riding – this affiliate of downtown’s Toga Bike Shop has a good selection of bikes and bike parts, and also rents bikes.
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Whole Foods
The city’s premier big-box natural market, part of a fast-growing national chain, is one of six in Manhattan; this one is particularly impressive, like a massive organic-food museum.
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Hungarian Pastry Shop
Now this is a place to linger. Join Columbia students and other academic types, all hunched over laptops and enjoying the delicious coffee and cakes at this classic hang.
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Bi Lokma
Behind a dainty wooden facade, eccentric Orhan Yegem keeps Midtowners nourished with honest, fresh Ottoman staples like stuffed cabbage, eggplant salad and creamy yogurt soup. Stake a table, then head to the counters to order. Top of the list is the Ali Nazik (eggplant puree topped with succulent lamb and tomato mince), the culinary equivalent of a hug from a Turkish grandmother.
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