The NYC Traveler in NYC: 5 Places We Like in NYC
- Marcia Crayton
- Nov 9, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 29
The NYC Traveler in NYC:
The phrase "staycation" got a whole new meaning during the 2020 pandemic. Being confined to our homes for the first couple of weeks created artists, cooks and dancers for social media. But the beginning of the pandemic was March and in New York, we were on the verge of spring. Staying home, especially if you lived in an apartment was not very ideal. So, although our then mayor and governor were notoriously feuding, they agreed on one thing: how to get us out of the house safely and to enjoy the city. It was time to "travel" in our own city, have an NYC staycation.
At this point, if a New Yorker did not know how to have fun in our own city, we were about to find out. Places we did not know that existed started popping up all of a sudden on our social media feeds, trending with hashtags. And people got there with imagination, since many people did not want to take public transportation: bicycling, e-bikes, roller anything (skates, blades, boards), walking.
Since the name of this blog is the NYC Traveler, you may be curious about what the NYC Traveler does when I'm in NYC, my hometown. Below you will find some my picks for visiting New York City (and some of the surrounding areas). If you are a NYC metropolitan area resident, you might find some areas to visit for the first time or worth a re-visit.
But, if you are a New York City resident and you don't get a chance to play the tourist, now is a good time to start.
Hang Out in NYC Like a Local: (5 Places We Visit)
PS: They're good for kids, romantic dates, solo travelers and family friendly adventures.
1. The Museums: I have annual memberships in several museums, even though I can get free entry in some of them if I have NY NYC ID. But, I want the freedom to take advantage of special events, I like the discounts for the shops and some of my memberships let me bring someone in for free or with a discounted ticket. My membership allows great flexibility, I don't have to feel rushed to see everything in one visit because I live here! I know how I feel when I'm visiting a city and the stress I feel to see everything because I'm thousands of miles from home. But here, in my own hometown, it's great to see what I want when I can. It's like having a community center. It's hard to pick just one favorite museum but two of my favorites are The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. Then again, the Brooklyn Museum is cool. Or maybe, the Museum of Natural History. OK, I'll get back to you on that.
New York City residents: at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there is a pay what you want policy. Check out the details on the museum's website, bring your ID and enjoy the art for what you can pay. Over at the Museum of Modern Art, save the date on the first Friday of every month.
2. The High Line: This was the recipe - take an old elevated train track, make use of the spaces underneath with great restaurants, add the Whitney Museum at one end and the number 7 train hub (West 34th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues) at the other, mix well and you have a nice way to spend an afternoon (in most weather) just to add to 5 places we like in NYC. I always try to walk the entire 1.45 miles. But, if I am nearby, I'll pop up and down at one of the entry points along the way. It's a walking park, no bicycles or scooters. When I start at the 34th Street end, I make a day of it, hanging out in Hudson Yards. There's always something happening: a small exhibit in the mall, free activities outside during the spring, summer and autumn seasons, or see the mall all lit up (literally) for the holiday season.But, along the High Line, especially in spring, summer and fall, something always seems to be happening. Sometimes, there's an art fair or a new outdoor exhibit.
3. The Parks: The tourists may head out to Central Park but we locals hang out in our neighborhood parks. I like the the larger parks in the other boroughs for a hike or to ride my bicycle. I sometimes journey to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. But in my own backyard, I combine Cunningham Park, Alley Pond Park, Kissena Park and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens in one bike ride. I actually ride from my house, round trip and take a scenic, green tour of the borough I live in. When I want to go to Brooklyn, I park in Long Island City and ride my bicycle along the border between Brooklyn and Queens and end up in Prospect Park. Or, I park near Howard Beach and ride along the Belt Parkway, ending at Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn or Coney Island.
I love New York City Parks. If I wanted to, I could golf, swim, bicycle or just sit out under a tree. Honestly, I haven't golfed yet (which can be done in Kissena Park, among other places), but I have done the other activities. My other favorite parks may be city parks, but we have a few state parks within our borders. Shirley Temple State Park (fee may be required for cars) in Brooklyn, is a lot of fun, with hills to climb and places for kids to explore. I have my Empire Pass, so I can park for free.
Do you really want to find a place that makes you feel like you're not in New York? Let me tell you that Fort Tyron Park and Highbridge Park will let you getaway for a while. I honestly had to get my bearings when I left Fort Tyron. It was truly like an excursion. As for Highbridge, I walk or ride across the bridge and say hi to the Bronx and then come back again. In fact, skipping between boroughs is quite easy for me to do on a bicycle.
What else do I do in the parks? Well, many of the larger parks have attractions: zoos in Prospect Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Central Park. Since I have a membership to the Wildlife Conservation Society, I can go almost when I want. By the way, my membership is also to the Bronx Zoo.
One of the nice surprises of the parks is finding something you would. not be within the borders of New York City. I've seen the waterfall in Prospect Park but every year, I head to the North Woods in Central Park for some of the most fabulous fall foliage. I mean really, we can hold our own complete with small waterfalls.
One activity I discovered late is bird watching in our parks. New York is a major stop on the bird migration turnpike (can you imagine?). I usually go to Central Park, not only with a pair of binoculars, but with my zoom lens and tripod. I'm not very knowledgable but I always find someone to talk to and I always learn something new.
I have been to Shakespeare in the Park at at the Delacorte Theater and Summerstage. But that's only one location. I like the fact the Philharmonic comes to each borough, so I head to Cunningham Park complete with lawn chair, water bottle and insect repellent to enjoy a concert worth of Lincoln Center.
4. Greenwich Village: When I can't get to Europe, I can get a taste of it below 14th (East and West) in Manhattan. The streets in midtown are in square grid design of streets and avenues. Everything makes sense and goes in numerical order. But below 14th Street, Lower Manhattan is the way it was all the way back to the Peter Stuyvesant days. Delightfully, the streets angle in and out, following no set pattern and revealing delightful little nooks and crannies such as church gardens, boutiques, small theaters and sidewalk cafes, just like the old streets of Europe. The vibe is different, too. For me, there are more small cafes, small businesses and boutiques just waiting for me to explore. I've wandered around over and over again and I always discover someplace new.
I sometimes start at the famous West 4th basketball courts, then I head up West 4th and look at the schedules for the Blue Note or the Village Underground. In that area is a great place for Belgian style French Fries, complete with mayo, one of the places that doesn't look at me odd when I don't take the ketchup. I may head east to Washington Square Park, or go back west and get lost some more. I always go to Greenwich Village when I have time, it's not a place to be rushed, it's a neighborhood to savor, to enjoy, to relish, to wander.
5. Our Festivals and Street Fairs: During the warmer months, it seems that you can go very far in midtown Manhattan without seeing a street fair. Annoying for the drivers but delightful for the pedestrians, it's fun for me to get an ear of corn or an arepa while I'm passing through. But some of the annual festivals are must do activities for me. I never miss the holiday villages in Bryant Park, Columbus Circle and Union Square. And one of my favorites is the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy.
So, that's just the beginning of where we like to go in New York City when we want to visit like a tourist.
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