I always wondered where New Yorkers spend their weekends (and weeknights). Do they go see “Statue of Liberty” or “Rockefeller Center” every other weekend? Do they walk by “Times Square” every evening? Do they climb on top of the “Empire state building” on a monthly basis? The answer as I get from the popular blogs written by New Yorkers is – NO! New Yorkers do not visit these touristy attractions. Some of them even claim “tourist dodging” to be their favorite sport while walking on the 5th Avenue. They take pride in walking the streets with Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey and do not look at them because of the lack of time! So, what do New Yorkers really do during the weekends?
I gathered the list of places that you can only experience if you are in NYC for more than a week. These places are not the usual tourist attractions. The New Yorkers take pride in walking by these places every day and feel excited about the historical and popular cultural connections to each of them. As NYC is accepted and celebrated as the city of neighborhoods, the list goes by neighborhoods.
1. Union square – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln statue, figure of charity, Metronome, Passage time, Green market, Republic (Asian food)
2. Financial district – Smithsonian museum of American Indian, Bull, Trinity church, St. Paul’s chapel, city hall
3. East village – Cube (push to spin), Cooper square, The village voice magazine, Trash clothing store, Tomkin square park, hare krishna tree
4. Morningside heights – Cathedral St. john divine, St. Michael’s good vs evil statue, Tom’s restaurant, riverside church (tallest church in USA, gothic architecture), Morningside park
5. West and Central Harlem – Marcus Garvey park, Apollo theater, Harlem market (African stuffs)
6. Central park – Imagine circle, Belvoir castle, Delacorte theater, Summer stage (June-Aug), Turtle pond, Cleopatra’s needle obelisk, Alice in wonderland statue, Bethesda terrace, central park zoo, the pond (south east corner)
7. Greenwich village – Washington square park, Café wha, Mamoun’s restaurant, Friends’ building, Cage basketball court
8. Chinatown – Chatham square, MOCA (museum of Chinese american), Mahayana Buddhist temple, Canal st bargaining shopping, Restaurants (Joe’s shanhai, NY noodle town, dimsum gogo, golden unicorn)
9. SOHO – cast iron buildings (king and queen of green st), art galleries (Franklin bowles, Louis K. Meisel ), NYC fire museum, Children museum of art, shopping along broadway, night club (Balthazar, SOB, SOHO park, Bar 89- bathroom door, Marshal’s kitchen, Raoul)
10. East Harlem – Museo del barrio, Edward Kennedy statue, Restaurant – Rao’s (southern Italian), Amor cubano, Creole, Camaradas el barrio, Patsy’s pizzeria
11. Hamilton heights – Dance theater of Harlem, Harlem school of the art (dance class), Sugar hill, Riverbank state park
12. Columbus circle – Christopher Columbus statue, Museum of art and design, Lincoln center for performing arts, Time warner’s center – shopping, restaurants
13. Times square – ABC studio, Restaurant – Hard rock café, MTV studio, Broadway theater
14. Madison square and Herald square – Flat iron triangular building, Madison square park, restaurants – shake shack, New York Herald owner statue, Greeley square park, New York tribune owner’s statue, Macy’s
15. Lower east side – Tenement museum, restaurants – Katz (Jewish), Synagogue, night club (Mercury lounge, Grocery, Sapphire lounge), view of Brooklyn at east river
16. DUMBO – River café for view, Brooklyn bridge, Brooklyn bridge park, Restaurants ( St. Ann’s warehouse, Rebar, superfine, grimaldi’s pizza, river café), Galapagos art space, 111 front st art galleries
17. Meatpacking district – art galleries, ground zero museum, restaurants (Bill’s, Brass monkey, Pastis, Spice market, Macelleria, Nero D’avola), Chelsea market, Free outdoor film at Pier 54
18. Chelsea – General theological seminary of Episcopal church, Limelight market place, art galleries between 20th and 28th St., Hudson river park, farmer’s market, High line, St. Vincent De Paul church, Gotham comedy club, Upright citizens brigade, restaurants (Don Giovani, Del Posto, Moonstruck diner, Budakan, Le graine’s café, Billy’s bakery), frying pan bar
19. Flat iron district – Center for Jewish history, Masonic history museum, museum of sex, restaurants (Eataly café, Hill country, Craft bar, Blue smoke, Boqueria), Clubs (Flat iron lounge, Slate, 235th rooftop bar), Gramercy theater
I gathered the list of places that you can only experience if you are in NYC for more than a week. These places are not the usual tourist attractions. The New Yorkers take pride in walking by these places every day and feel excited about the historical and popular cultural connections to each of them. As NYC is accepted and celebrated as the city of neighborhoods, the list goes by neighborhoods.
1. Union square – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln statue, figure of charity, Metronome, Passage time, Green market, Republic (Asian food)
2. Financial district – Smithsonian museum of American Indian, Bull, Trinity church, St. Paul’s chapel, city hall
3. East village – Cube (push to spin), Cooper square, The village voice magazine, Trash clothing store, Tomkin square park, hare krishna tree
4. Morningside heights – Cathedral St. john divine, St. Michael’s good vs evil statue, Tom’s restaurant, riverside church (tallest church in USA, gothic architecture), Morningside park
5. West and Central Harlem – Marcus Garvey park, Apollo theater, Harlem market (African stuffs)
6. Central park – Imagine circle, Belvoir castle, Delacorte theater, Summer stage (June-Aug), Turtle pond, Cleopatra’s needle obelisk, Alice in wonderland statue, Bethesda terrace, central park zoo, the pond (south east corner)
7. Greenwich village – Washington square park, Café wha, Mamoun’s restaurant, Friends’ building, Cage basketball court
8. Chinatown – Chatham square, MOCA (museum of Chinese american), Mahayana Buddhist temple, Canal st bargaining shopping, Restaurants (Joe’s shanhai, NY noodle town, dimsum gogo, golden unicorn)
9. SOHO – cast iron buildings (king and queen of green st), art galleries (Franklin bowles, Louis K. Meisel ), NYC fire museum, Children museum of art, shopping along broadway, night club (Balthazar, SOB, SOHO park, Bar 89- bathroom door, Marshal’s kitchen, Raoul)
10. East Harlem – Museo del barrio, Edward Kennedy statue, Restaurant – Rao’s (southern Italian), Amor cubano, Creole, Camaradas el barrio, Patsy’s pizzeria
11. Hamilton heights – Dance theater of Harlem, Harlem school of the art (dance class), Sugar hill, Riverbank state park
12. Columbus circle – Christopher Columbus statue, Museum of art and design, Lincoln center for performing arts, Time warner’s center – shopping, restaurants
13. Times square – ABC studio, Restaurant – Hard rock café, MTV studio, Broadway theater
14. Madison square and Herald square – Flat iron triangular building, Madison square park, restaurants – shake shack, New York Herald owner statue, Greeley square park, New York tribune owner’s statue, Macy’s
15. Lower east side – Tenement museum, restaurants – Katz (Jewish), Synagogue, night club (Mercury lounge, Grocery, Sapphire lounge), view of Brooklyn at east river
16. DUMBO – River café for view, Brooklyn bridge, Brooklyn bridge park, Restaurants ( St. Ann’s warehouse, Rebar, superfine, grimaldi’s pizza, river café), Galapagos art space, 111 front st art galleries
17. Meatpacking district – art galleries, ground zero museum, restaurants (Bill’s, Brass monkey, Pastis, Spice market, Macelleria, Nero D’avola), Chelsea market, Free outdoor film at Pier 54
18. Chelsea – General theological seminary of Episcopal church, Limelight market place, art galleries between 20th and 28th St., Hudson river park, farmer’s market, High line, St. Vincent De Paul church, Gotham comedy club, Upright citizens brigade, restaurants (Don Giovani, Del Posto, Moonstruck diner, Budakan, Le graine’s café, Billy’s bakery), frying pan bar
19. Flat iron district – Center for Jewish history, Masonic history museum, museum of sex, restaurants (Eataly café, Hill country, Craft bar, Blue smoke, Boqueria), Clubs (Flat iron lounge, Slate, 235th rooftop bar), Gramercy theater
Science, art and lifestyle 