The NYC Traveler in NYC: 5 More Places We Like to Visit in New York
- Marcia Crayton
- Nov 9, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 29
With a city as large as the City of New York, there are so many places to visit that you could never travel anywhere else. If you include restaurants, it could literally take decades to explore the city. I'm sure many people feel that way about their hometown or a large city near where they live, but in the case of New York, it's actually true. Living here is expensive but I try to figure out my finances so that I can enjoy where I live, get the most out of the city, and to be a tourist in my own hometown.
In Part 1, I documented reasons why we New Yorkers rediscovered our own city. And the discovery process didn't stop with those 5 places I like. I have more activities for you to try. Adapt them to fit you, head out the door and enjoy!
1. Walk through Harlem, without a tourist guide. Harlem is one of those neighborhoods that calls for you to take off the headphones, look up from the phone and just walk. The "sight" in the sightseeing is in the walking around. An GPS app or a guidebook is just as good as a personal guide and walking around on your own helps you to develop your sense of adventure, not to mention your street smarts. My suggestion: Start at West 125th Street and 7th Avenue (also known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd), and make your way downtown, ending at Central Park at 110th Street. Don't just stay on one boulevard: explore Frederick Douglass Boulevard and Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue).
What to look for: the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building and that fantastic sculpture on the corner of West 125th Street & Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard); the Studio Museum in Harlem, across the street from the State Office Building (newly renovated as of 2026, just waiting for you to explore); Muhammad Mosque #7 (106-08 West 127 Street); Abyssinian Baptist Church (132 West 138th Street); St. Nicholas Park, between West 128th and 141st Streets along St. Nicholas Avenue; the Harriet Tubman Memorial at West 122nd Street & St. Nicholas Avenue; Convent Avenue Baptist Church and the Sugar Hill Area along with the Sugar Hill Children's Museum, at Convent Ave & W145th Street; Hamilton Grange National Memorial at Convent Avenue and West 141st St; The National Jazz Museum (58 W129th St); and the El Museo Del Barrio, which is next door to the Museum of the City of New York and across the street from Central Park at E104th St & 5th Ave. This makes for a full day of exploring. Look for the Duke Ellington sculpture at 110th and 5th.
2. Many tourists walk over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn (or vice versa) to explore the DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) area, a really cool place to be: parks, shopping, dining. However, for many New Yorkers, this bridge, part of the BMW trio (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg Bridges), was a famous route of escape on September 11. With the mass transit stopped (especially the subway) and cars at a standstill, walking over the bridges is how many people left Manhattan to try to get home that day. It's easy to admire the view and take selfies along the bridge, but there is a historical context to it also, and may people remember that when they see one of the BMW bridges.
Want to add to your 5 more places to visit in New York? Once, you're in Brooklyn, after you've explored all of the nooks and crannies of DUMBO, check out Domino Park. Renovated, reconstructed and rebuilt from the Domino Sugar Refinery, find this on River Street between Grand and South 5th Street in Brooklyn. You'll be near the Williamsburg Bridge, so feel free to walk to and/or from Manhattan to get there. Parking can be difficult, so many people usually don't drive there just to visit and this is a good thing: you'll see why the park is very popular with locals and cyclists. I usually ride my bike there.
3. Hit up da Bronx: the only NYC Borough that's on the mainland of the USA, the Bronx is more than the Yankees, the Zoo and the NY Botanical Garden. Van Cortlandt Park and Pelham Bay Park are awesome and will challenge you, whether you are walking or riding a bike. Indeed, many of streets of the Bronx will challenge you with inclines and slopes that will guarantee an appetite. Where do locals go? Check out City Island for seafood (and more) or the famous Arthur Avenue (between East 184th and East 188th in the Belmont section).
City Island is literally a mile and half of places to eat, mostly seafood, but there is other fare for those not fond of "fruit de mer." In the summer, look for ice cream places and other seasonal shops. Parking can be tough, but it's New York: find the best spot you can and walk to where you need to go. You might need to walk off your meal anyway after dining at some of the local seafood spots in the city.
For Italian flair, head over to Arthur Avenue. That market mid-block is tempting but honestly, we are still making our way up and down that street, trying different eateries each time we visit. It's tempting to get a favorite, but give them all a try. The owners of the restaurants have a competitive comradery happening: the compete against each other but they know that if you can't get into one of the restaurants, you'll try another. And, you'll want to come back to try them all. That famous New York pizza? Along with Brooklyn, it's up here, too, as well as seafood specialties along with some of the best Italian food in New York.
4. Bryant Park, Manhattan: This used to be a hidden gem. Alas, no more. Smack dab in the middle of midtown Manhattan, there's something for everyone: locals who live in the area, visitors and commuters. Since it's right down the street from Grand Central, Long Island Railroad and Metro North riders know about all the fun that happens. And with probably thousands of businesses in the area, it's a favorite spot for lunch, particularly in nice weather.
At Bryan Park, there are always events and festivals. For me, I usually just happen to be passing by, but I'm remembering to look at the park's website to actually plan an outing.
The famous holiday treat, The Bryant Park Winter Village began in 2002 and it used to be like our little secret: there were crowds, but not the full court press I've seen lately. Thanks to the news and social media, visitors to New York have discovered the square block of East and West 42 Streets between 5th and 6th Avenues. It's a neighborhood park (outdoor film showings, concert series); a holiday village Christmastime (complete with tree, vendors and ice skating rink) and a just a great place to take a break on the lawn.
Another big highlight is the Broadway Concert Series during the summer time, during the day. The concert is fun but the New York thing to see is the sound check prior. Real Broadway stars from real shows warming up. Classic.
When it's not a village or concert venue, it's a great park, with the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal and Times Square literally a block away in different directions.
As The NYC Traveler, I think you should add Bryant Park to your list of sites to see, even if there isn't an event. It's a nice little park. Look for Gertrude Stein's statue as well as several places to get something to eat.
5. Lower Manhattan and The Battery: The Battery is at the very southern tip of Manhattan Island, from State Street and Peter Minuit Plaza (yes, the guy who swindled Manhattan from the indigenous Lenape peoples) to Battery Place and Little W Street. State Street becomes Battery Place. In between, enjoy awesome views of Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey and, of course, the Statue of Liberty. Explore Clinton Castle, east from street vendors, ride a carousel or just sit and enjoy the many monuments. Stone Street is a great place to eat, another special are for your 5 more places to visit in New York list.
This area is especially significant because it is part of the locations that were tremendously affected by the tragedy on September 11, 2001. The Battery gets its name from the fact that it was a fort, with artillery batteries (military systems) that were there to protect New York. Most of the fort was demolished, but Castle Clinton remains, you can explore it although it looks like it serves mainly as a ticket center for the Statue of Liberty. This place has been some type of a public park since about 1824, so there is always something going on, something to see, or something to explore.
What's fascinating about The Battery? It serves as part of the New York State's Empire State Trail. Huh? Yup, you could literally hike your way up through New York State, starting right from here. Cool.
You can wander around the tip of Manhattan, starting at the Staten Island Ferry terminal, all the way around to the current World Trade Center. At that point, the park continues up the West Side along the Hudson River, but under different names: Robert Wagner Park, Rockefeller Park, South Cove Park, Hudson River Park, Riverside Park, Riverbank State Park, Discovery Park, Fort Washington Park, under the George Washington Bridge, Fort Tyron, and on through the Empire State trail upstate. Outrageous.
However, many of us turn off at the Little Red Lighthouse under the GWB when we're on bicycles and probably much sooner when we're on foot. You will be surprised how far you wander but turn off at 34th Street to see Hudson Yards or come out at Gansevoort Street and continue your journey on another level. Literally, on The High Line.
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