There is no doubt that New York City is the single most recognizable city in the world. Dubbed the City that Never Sleeps, this American metropolis receives close to 66 million tourists each year.
However, most people’s visit is often limited to Fifth Avenue or Time Square, while there are a lot of other lesser-known places all around the Big Apple.
There are countless unusual things to do in NYC, and you can explore it in a totally different way and get a brand new perspective on how you look at the city.
Here’s a little guide to get you started on that.
In this post...
Stay at a New Place
If you have come from outside NYC, where you stay during your visit to the city matters a lot. You might know NYC for the Empire State Building, Central Park, or Wall Street, but do you know this city has a very artistic side to it too?
If you want to discover that, you need to stay at one of the hotels in Chelsea, NYC. This is located right in the epicenter of the art scene of NYC.
Surrounded by the High Line, Hudson Yards, Chelsea Market, and the iconic Madison Square Garden, this place gives you an opportunity to look into the art life of the Big Apple.
See Manhattan from a New Angle
Manhattan has the most iconic skyline in the entire world, but you cannot totally appreciate seeing it from the Empire State Building. That’s what everyone does.
If you want to get a more memorable view of the city, go to Sunset Park and see the sun setting behind the skyscrapers from the south of this lush green urban oasis.
Observe the Understated Historical Architecture
If you ask anyone about the historical architecture of NYC, most people will point to the Grand Central Terminal. That is a great place, but there’s an even better one that people often ignore.
That is the Woolworth Building. It was the tallest structure in the world when inaugurated in 1913. The building was so important at the time that its lights were turned on for the first time by then-president Woodrow Wilson from a switch in the White House.
Catch a Performance at a Unique Location
There are a lot of performances in the Radio City Music Hall, which is a great venue, but if you want a non-touristy alternative to that is the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts.
Not only is the building an architectural marvel, but you’ll also get a wider variety of Broadway and non-Broadway performances here.
Non-Touristy Destinations in NYC
There is a very long list of places in NYC that are often overlooked by most people coming to see the city. If you need a really off-the-beaten-path experience in New York City, here are some of the places you should visit when you go to NYC.
The Elevated Acre
There is a park several feet above the ground, suspended between two buildings near Wall Street, called the Elevated Acre. This grassy space rests above the sprawling streets of New York’s Financial District.
You can have a relaxing and non-touristy experience here while still being in the center of one of the world’s busiest cities.
You can get spectacular views of the Hudson River and Brooklyn Bridge from this park. The latest addition to the Elevated Acre is a beer garden where you can enjoy a delicious craft beer while taking in the city’s best views.
The Smallpox Hospital
Situated on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, this ivy-clad building once used to be the Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital. It was the top facility for smallpox treatment until it closed in 1950. In 1975, the Landmarks Preservation Commission declared this decrepit structure a city landmark.
While it is being reinstated, some portion of the original building is still standing, and now is the time to see what a 1940s hospital in NYC looked like.
Secret Gardens of Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is definitely not an off-the-beaten-path destination in NYC.
People come here for the ice skating rink, the Christmas tree, and Jeff Koons’ massive flowering sculpture, but there’s one spot here that’s often overlooked by tourists, or they just don’t know of its existence.
That is the 620 Loft and Gallery, scattered about the rooftops of this art deco building.
This open space has an immaculate private garden with perfectly manicured greenery and excellent views of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
A Piece of The Berlin Wall
It might look like just another piece of NYC’s street art, but it is not. This 12 x 20 ft masterpiece was created by German artists Thierry Noir and Kiddy Citny on five concrete blocks of the original Berlin Wall that were donated to Manhattan’s Battery Park City by the City of Berlin.
This invaluable treasure can be seen at a small Midtown plaza at 520 Madison Avenue.
Museum of Mathematics
The Museum of Mathematics is not a place to learn the subject. It rather emphasizes all the incredible things this tool can be used for.
It has more than 30 interactive exhibits, including the Wall of Fire, a laser wall that will clear your concepts on cross-sections, Math Square, a Jumbotron on the floor that connects each person standing on it via the shortest possible line, and Enigma Cafe, where families can sit down on tables to solve digital puzzles.
Conclusion
New York is one of the most recognizable cities in the world; still, there are numerous hidden gems in this metropolis that very few of the 66 million annual visitors get to explore.
Start your off the beaten path journey in NYC from a hotel in Chelsea that keeps you near the art scene of the city, switch traditional destinations for the less popular ones, and visit places like The Elevated Acre, the Smallpox Hospital, Secret Gardens of Rockefeller Center, and the Museum of Mathematics.
Megan is a travel blogger and writer with a background in digital marketing. Originally from Richmond, VA, she now splits her time between Frankfurt, Germany and Arctic Finland after also living in Norway, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. She has a passion for winter travel, as well as the Nordic countries, but you can also find her eating her way through Italy, perusing perfume stores in Paris, or taking road trips through the USA. Megan has written for or been featured by National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, the New York Times, and more. She co-authored Fodor’s Travel ‘Essential Norway’ and has visited 45 US states and 100+ countries.